Shakespearean Cupids
by tkelparis
Summary: When two people are reminiscent of a Shakespearean couple, friends and family are liable to borrow from the Bard himself to bring them together. So what happens when the Doctor and Donna get treated like Benedict and Beatrice...?
1. For We Are the Only LoveGods

Title: Shakespearean Cupids

Rating: T for emotional angst, innuendo, and Jack-style machinations

Summary: When two people are reminiscent of a Shakespearean couple, friends and family are liable to borrow from the Bard himself to bring them together.

Disclaimer: I don't have the money to go see the awesomeness of David Tennent and Catherine Tate in a Much Ado About Nothing production – let alone own anything related to Who aside from a Disappearing TARDIS mug.

Author's Note: I was working on another idea, and was stuck. Out of boredom, I started thinking about all of the fanfics that will _surely_ emerge once MAAN starts its run, and was preparing a prompt list for the Doctor/Donna LiveJournal community... when Muse grabbed one of my own suggestions and ran with it. At least I get to play with the moments I _hope_ I'll get to watch... if the BBC makes a video production... We American fans are going to depend on it!

Jack Harkness could have some really good ideas, Dr. Martha Jones reflected as she entered Sarah Jane Smith's home. Some were almost as hare-brained as what the Doctor could come up with, but they usually worked – sort of like their friend's did.

Although this begged the question of why Jack wanted to gather so many of the Doctor's companions together in one place. Without him or his current (primary) companion around. After all, this was the man who was pretty much attracted to _anything_ humanoid and sentient.

Ah, she noticed on entering the living room, Gwen was also there. As well as the rest of Jack's team. Maybe now she could hear about that so-called friend of Jack's whose tastes ran along an even wilder range. To think that the randy Captain actually had standards...

It also begged the question of why Sylvia Noble and Wilfred Mott were invited. Martha knew her family wouldn't come unless some major emergency were happening, and she wouldn't blame them. So why was Donna's family here?

She entered the room to hear Jack trying to explain to Donna's family how the Doctor kept managing to arrive in time to save worlds – and that he never sought to hurt anyone. So he must've already told some Time Agent stories. Damn, I would've liked to hear them.

This gathering wouldn't have been possible without Martha telling Jack about the surprise addition to the TARDIS family, the Generated Anomaly. The Doctor hadn't been thrilled to return to Earth after the 1920s adventure to find that a bunch of people wanted to meet the young Time-Lady known as Jenny. Martha had never seen him so tense. But one thing from the morning's meeting stuck out in her mind. "You know, Jack," she said as she accepted some juice mix (which Gwen swore hadn't been spiked), "I've seen you flirt with pretty much anyone you meet, or at least act like a tart. From how the Doctor warned me when I met you, I'm guessing that... you considered Rose fair game."

Jack grinned sadly, lost for a moment in a memory. "She was a sweet girl, and she liked being around me."

Not as much as she liked being around the Doctor. The thought didn't need to be spoken between them.

Sylvia frowned. "So this... alien... goes around and picks up young girls as companions?"

Sarah Jane and Martha shook their heads, and simultaneously shouted, "No!" Martha let the older woman defend their friend. "More like whoever happens to be around, and proves themselves useful in a tough situation. Some prove more capable than others, and some become better friends than others."

Martha nodded, and added, "And no one seems to be proving a better friend to the Doctor than your daughter, Mrs. Noble. I've never seen him so challenged by someone, or have someone whose abilities compliment his so well. They're a fantastic team. You should've seen them working to defeat the Sontarans."

"And your daughter joins my ranks in taking on a Sontaran soldier," Sarah Jane noted, "and winning." 

Jack's grin got bigger. "That's right. Your daughter helped free an entire race called the Ood from slavery, Earth is safe because of what she did on the Sontaran ship, and she helped the Doctor accept his daughter – despite her creation and thinking he'd lost her. Donna is an amazing woman, and you should be very proud of her."

"Oh, of course we're proud of her!" Wilf was quite offended at the thought. "We just wish she'd have more confidence in herself."

Sylvia felt all eyes on her, and sighed. "I know I don't show it very well, but I do love her. I know when she's hurting, when she's happy, and when... all sorts of emotions are running through her heart."

That reminded Martha of her earlier question. "Back to what I was saying, Jack. You clearly flirted with Rose, you flirted with me, and you're still trying to flirt with Jenny – _despite_ her Dad's warnings." Jenny merely rolled her eyes and continued sipping on the banana smoothie her "grandmother" mixed for her, and waited for the rest of Martha's question. "So how come you didn't flirt with Donna when you met her this morning?"

"Ah," Jack began, rubbing his hands together slowly – showing how carefully he was thinking about his answer. A rarity for him. "Well, I like having the Doctor's good opinion, but I apparently can't resist a Gallifreyan."

Jenny, still sipping, flipped Jack a rude gesture that she could only have learned from Donna.

Sighing over being shot down again, Jack added, "As for Donna... Let's just say that I know better than to flirt with someone who is not only taken but whose partner won't share."

Wilf nearly choked on his drink, while a startled Sylvia screamed, "She swore that they're just friends!"

Jenny laughed – having swallowed her most recent sip. "I know they do, but I was watching them when we saw Agatha Christie. You should've seen how they stayed together, how they gravitated toward each other, and their faces when Mrs. Christie thought they were a couple. They might not be one, but I'm convinced that they're just fooling themselves. How can anyone _not_ know that they're in love?"

Gwen cleared her throat. "I can answer that. One can get so caught up in the details of their life or situation, or perhaps in some big picture deal, that they ignore or misinterpret what their feelings are telling them. It sounds like she's had some bad experiences with men in the past, and he doesn't exactly seem like a guy who's comfortable dealing with feelings."

Martha snorted. "God, he's total rubbish when it comes to knowing exactly how he feels about someone. Let alone recognizing how others really feel. This particular Doctor is also an unconscious flirt – and yet he has no clue why he keeps being hit on. Donna's right when she calls him a bloke."

It was Jack's turn to sigh. "And being someone with so many years on everyone else, and facing the hardship... of out-living everyone you care for, takes a lot out of you. I'm not really surprised that he didn't seem aware of the plethora of 'mine' signals he was giving off this morning, but I am surprised that – as observant as Donna is – she hasn't detected them."

Wilf suddenly remembered something. "Wait, I might know the answer to this. He told her, back on that day with those blobs of fat, that he was looking for a friend. Although she said he put it in a way that he didn't realize how it sounded. She told him off for it."

Jenny nearly did a spit-take of the last of her smoothie. "Oh, my God! TARDIS was showing me that conversation just before I left for here! He was talking about just being 'mates', and she actually told him, 'You're not mating with me, Sunshine!'"

"Ooh," Owen murmured. "Hard to go from friends to more with that kind of a mess."

Jack held up his hands to forestall any further comments from Sylvia. "I'm betting he's been closing himself off for a while, out of guilt. He's probably been focusing on not letting himself get too attached to anyone, and I don't doubt that he might've been relieved that Donna wasn't interested in him." He paused a moment, and grinned. "But... he may be an alien, but he's also a guy, and guys are intrigued by challenges. And what could challenge a man's ego more than – after running into scores of women who want him – finds the best person for him and she's not impressed with him?"

He didn't let anyone answer the rhetorical question. He just continued, "He didn't seem aware of the intensity of the glare he gave me. I mean, he's always saying, 'Don't, Jack.' But this time? If looks could kill, I might've been permanently vaporized. I first thought it was over Jenny, but his body language was telling me a different story. I'm afraid that, because she appeared in his life when he really needed someone, he built Rose up to be something more than she really was to him – and didn't realize it until it was too late. He was never that protective of her... or Martha." The last was said with a bit of apology to the young doctor.

Martha vaguely waved off his concern. She was over him, after all.

"Hmm..." Jenny thought about her previous day. "So that explains why he was so much more reactive to when Lady Eddison's son flirted with Mum than with me. Even though I'm his daughter!"

Sarah Jane had a point to raise about that, to play devil's advocate. "He can partly justify that because you're still so young and innocent regarding people. He can trust that you won't get into that kind of trouble. As for Donna... I always knew he liked gingers, so it doesn't surprise me to hear that he developed a thing for her. But to have it so bad that he's clueless about it?"

"Donna's the same way right now," Wilf exclaimed. "She talks about him as her blokish friend, but her eyes sparkle when she talks about him – even more than their adventures. I know men and woman can be just friends, but I'm afraid her past is blinding her to the truth. That she's protecting herself as fiercely as she can."

Sylvia slowly nodded, breathing sharply out her nose. "That's why I'm concerned. My daughter's showing all of the symptoms of being in love, and I need to know that she's not setting herself up for heartbreak again."

Sarah Jane shook her head firmly, needing to defend him. "He never wants to cause any companion pain. Yes, it is dangerous traveling with him, but you see so many amazing things, help so many people, and become a better person in so many ways that it's all worth it. I believe Donna decided that she would be happier doing something worthwhile than pursuing the one thing that seemed to always elude her."

"But," Jack interjected, "a woman that extraordinary shouldn't have to choose. She should be able to have the best of both worlds. Which is where we come in."

Ianto groaned. "Matchmaking? Sounds like you're asking for trouble."

Jack laughed, shaking his head. "No, more like we make them aware of their own feelings, and then work from there."

Martha frowned. "You might just make things worse that way. If they both have insecurities about whether they can be happy, then they'll surely have them over how the other feels. Then, if we do what you're thinking, they'll just get awkward around each other and Donna might feel compelled to leave. Putting them each in a worse place where they started from before they met. You need a better plan than that, Jack."

The Captain's face fell, as he realized the problem.

"Mum?" Luke came in with his friends, each with books in hand. "We're back from the Library. We got what we need for our Shakespeare paper."

Then Martha noticed one of the books. "Wait, is that 'Much Ado About Nothing'?" A brainwave was building, but it was missing some details.

Everyone gave her a puzzled look, and Luke answered, "Yeah, we've got a paper to write on the play. We chose to write about how Benedict and Beatrice were manipulated into realizing their own feelings with the idea of the other loving them."

Gasping, Martha leaped from her seat. "That's it! May we look at the book for a bit?"

When Luke – although completely baffled – handed it over, Jenny stood to join Martha. "Who's Shakespeare, what's a 'play,' and what is this 'Much Ado' thing?"

"Oh, Jenny," Martha gushed, her mind working at light speed to piece together a plan, "you are in for a treat. Shakespeare is only the best English writer of all time, and – according to your father – the most human of all humans. A brilliant mind with words, who gave our language more new words than anyone else up to this point. Bit of a flirt, I will admit."

Gwen gasped, awed by the implication. "You met him?"

Martha grinned, a mix of bashful and proud as she noticed that everyone was looking speculatively at her. "You're looking at Shakespeare's Dark Lady."

"Well, as much as I'd like to hear about _his_ randy side," Jack commented appreciatively as he approached Martha to look over her shoulder, "I know we don't have much time before Donna brings them back from the store, so we have to pull our best impression of the Doctor and wing it."

"Wait a flippin' minute!" Syliva stood, reminding everyone where Donna got her scary side from. "You're going to set her up with him?"

Jack gave her a pointed stare, mixed with a _bit_ of flirting. "Does he treat her better than all the others before him did?"

"Yes." Reluctant, proving how much she knew her hopes for her daughter had vanished.

"Oh, Sweetheart," Wilf said, patting her arm, "she'll be fine. Better than fine, I'd say."

When Sylvia sighed in reluctant acquiescence, Martha's grin turned practically wild. "All right, we need to quickly brush-up on _how_ Benedict and Beatrice were tricked, and then quickly decide who's going to be overheard by which one of them. I swore I'd never meddle in a friend's life like this, but I like the idea of messing a little with his head before pushing him on the right path. Jenny, do you think the TARDIS will help us afterward?"

Jenny thought about it, and shrugged. "I'm sure if worst comes to worst, I can nick Dad's Sonic and lock them in a closet together. Think that would help?"

Jack grin was positively wicked. "Oh, I think you may be doing that, period. Just please plant a listening device first."

The Time-Lady was affronted. "I might want them together, but there are some things I don't want to know about – and I think we'll find a lot more success with them if I make sure no one else does, either. Got it, Captain Horny?"

Jack's face took on such a comical pout – so much more extreme than the ones she'd seen her Dad give – that Jenny began to get what her Mum meant when she'd called Jack a "sneaky tart." Nothing with Jack Harkness was "strictly professional." _Nothing_.


	2. A WellBaited Hook

Author's Note: A thank you to woolSmynx, whose review prompted me to use lines from the play for chapters. So far, only one chapter isn't scheduled to use a line from MAAN as the title, and it was only because the alternative I had was too appropriate for the planned contents.

Thought I'd post two chapters today, in honor of the big debut! Bear with me as things are going to get very awkward for a bit...

/=/=/=/=/=/=/

CHAPTER TWO: A WELL-BAITED HOOK

"Did you seriously have to ask that many questions?" Donna was irritated as all get out, and had to focus on her driving when she wanted to slap her companion – again! He'd nearly embarrassed the hell out of her at the Tesco!

The answer started on a deep groan. "How often do you think I go to a _store_ to get food?"

She rolled her eyes as she parked. Finally. "Well, where else are you going to get the good jelly babies or those Hob Nobs you keep eating? Your ship does most foods very well, but even the TARDIS admits that she's rubbish at those."

The Doctor sighed as they exited Donna's mother's car. Earth vehicles were strange to travel in when you were used to the TARDIS, but – as the saying went – when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Ironic, given his and Donna's shared history with Italy...

The debate had been vivid since leaving the Tesco that Donna evidently preferred when she lived on Earth. The distance to Sarah Jane's had allowed for a lot of back and forth – and this was their attempt to wrap it up so they wouldn't be bickering so much in front of Jenny. Donna had worried that it might look bad to their still-innocent girl, and the Doctor saw the point. Although Jenny needed to learn more to handle a variety of interactions, her father wanted her to stay as untainted as possible for as long as possible.

"Oi," he couldn't help but retort, trying to get in the last word, "is this along the same lines as why you like shopping when my ship could make anything you need?"

Donna scoffed. "Good God, could you be any more bloke-like?"

He opened his mouth to argue, but a voice called out, "You're back!" One of Luke's friends, he recalled vaguely. The girl was sitting out front, reading a book on cell biology, and evidently asking Owen - sitting next to her – lots of questions. She gestured wildly toward the door. "Sarah Jane said you might want to leave the bags in your ship; you're invited to dinner and I overheard the phrase "banana cake" mentioned."

Donna groaned as she saw the interest in Spaceman's eyes. Oi, we're going to be stuck here for a good part of the night, she just knew. He _never_ turns down banana cake! Unless the person offering isn't trustworthy...

The girl continued, "They've broken off into little groups to talk. Might take a bit of effort to pull Jenny and your grandfather away."

Donna laughed, noting the momentary panic on the Doctor's face over the domestic nature of the whole thing. "Oh, we'll see about that. You gonna carry your own weight, Spaceman?"

He stifled another groan, deciding it wasn't worth getting her worked up.

Donna saw a glimpse of her grandfather outside, in the backyard. "Excuse me, I'm gonna go see what Gramps is hearing. Jack and Sarah Jane are sitting there with him. Better make sure Jack's being kept in line."

Owen, who'd kept himself focused on the book, looked up and said, "Oh, Luke wants to ask the Doctor something about a science project. He's upstairs in his room."

"Okay, Sunshine," Donna breezed as she handed the other bags to the Doctor. "You get these to the TARDIS. I'll go see how Gramps is."

The Doctor frowned, wondering just when he became her bag boy. And why he put up with it. Or, more importantly, why he couldn't stay frustrated with her for long. Being ginger couldn't account for all of it.

Neither of them saw Owen – with the girl grinning over the shared secret – pull out his cell and quickly text someone...

/=/=/=/=/

Sarah Jane grinned when Jack's phone chirped. "She's coming this way." Handing it back, she looked at her co-conspirators. "Ready?"

When they faintly heard footsteps, the men nodded. Wilf had to whisper, "Better hope she doesn't interrupt us."

Jack grinned, and answered in the same low tone. "Which is why we choose our words carefully." As the steps became a bit louder, he raised his voice and put on serious airs. "No, Wilf, you have to trust me on this one. I've seen a lot of things as a Time Agent, and I know how to recognize when one humanoid is in love with another."

Donna's eyebrows raised. Who could Jack be talking about, and why was Gramps interested?

Wilf managed an awed disbelief. "I'm not saying you're putting me on, but are you really saying that the Doctor is in love with my Donna?"

Her feet froze, nearly sending her completely off-balance. It took every bit of muscle control to pull herself together, but only one thought crossed her mind: What?

Jack laughed lightly. "Is it hard to believe that an alien could fall for a human?"

Seems more like a movie plot device, Donna thought as she tried to move closer without being detected. I have to hear what they're on about! And surely they'll say more if they don't know I'm here.

Sarah Jane laughed, genuinely amused as a few memories asserted themselves. "Well, humanoid women are falling for him all the time – no matter which regeneration he's on. Why not the reverse?"

They've got to be wrong about him liking me that way, Donna thought immediately. Because for one thing, I'm not blond and thin! And he looked so relieved that I wasn't interested in him when we had that whole "mates" discussion! Jack has to fibbing! But, she suddenly thought, Sarah Jane doesn't seem like a liar...

"Well, it's..." Wilf had to find the right words, which was hard enough when you knew you _weren't_ being listened in on. "It's just that she's often off on how nutters he is, even if that's said with the fondness that you have for a good friend. And she's always been genuinely interested in people and their concerns."

Can't remember not being like that. Of course, Donna remembered sadly, didn't always see what was _really_ in front of me... Lance is proof enough.

"I mean, " Wilf continued, knowing this would be critical to the plan's success, "if she doesn't see it, then what's your authority that he does feel that way?"

Jack's grin was pure bad boy wickedness. "Ah, I have the benefit of... liking to watch his reactions to my behaviors."

Yes, Jack, we know you like to watch him. Donna, even through her slightly dazed state, grinned at the memory of how awkward the Doctor looked when Jack flirted with him earlier that day.

The Immortal continued, continuing the semi-charade. "And this morning, during the introductions, he was giving all sorts of possessive signals where Donna was concerned – if I was talking with or to her. He never behaved that way around Martha... or Rose."

What? But he was... so sad over her... Donna slipped closer, unable to pull away or speak to demand what they were on about.

"You know," Sarah Jane said, reflectively, "I remember when I met Rose. She was so jealous of me and what I represented to the Doctor that Mickey was joking about us being 'the Mrs. and the Ex.' Given that he was her boyfriend before the Doctor popped into their lives, I was rather impressed with his growing maturity. Much more than when she showed compassion."

That got Donna's attention. She wished that she could've met Mickey, and made her own assessment of the young man's character. And made her want to learn more about Rose's actions while traveling with the Doctor.

"Sure," Sarah Jane added, with a bit of laughter, "we got along in the end – which really freaked him out – but I think it was only possible because Rose didn't understand about all those who came before her. I can't imagine that she would've been able to settle him; she kind of encouraged some of his not-so-lovely traits."

Donna found that interesting. She knew that she wasn't very mature at 19 and 20, and that she wouldn't have been a good friend or companion to the Doctor then. What did it say about him that he chose Rose anyway?

"No," Jack admitted, sadly, "she was youthful and energetic. She had a good brain, which should've been developed. But, from what I could tell from the one time I talked with the TARDIS, Rose – in every way that makes you a fully-fledged adult – stopped growing up when she met the Doctor, and I think that gave her brand of healing a... superficial quality that was the true cause of the depth of his devastation when he lost her."

Not growing up... She'd seen a lot of people doing that. More males than females, but the gap seemed to be closing. It dawned on her that she really didn't know that much about Rose as a person. Could Jack be right, and the bond built more on superficial things...? Surely Spaceman was better than that!

Jack continued, "He once, when I wanted to know what had happened to her, commented that she liked reaching out to lost souls. I think he didn't realize that he didn't really qualify; he's just been drifting because he never really felt at home, never had someone to _really_ encourage him to be better. Which I think he now does – but only because of Donna."

Sarah Jane laughed openly. "And think about how many things he clearly knows about Donna's preferences. I think he only remembered a few of my favorite things, but he's memorized so much about her. It amazes me how she doesn't notice just how much."

Donna felt her heartbeat go haywire as examples of what he knew about her flashed across her mind. Oh, my God, he has learned a lot! He didn't do that for others?

"Wow," Jack marveled – honestly. "The one I first met _couldn't_ be bothered by such things. Guess that proves just how far gone he is."

Her cheeks went very flush as her mind started sputtering. This is a first for him...? Well... who... would've thought... A moonstruck alien...? And over me...?

"Well," Wilf began, pushing into the most important part of their plan, "do you think he'll ever tell her? I wouldn't mind having an alien in the family if it were him."

Oh, God, Gramps! You're not turning matchmaker, are you?

Sarah Jane shook her head. "I doubt it." And she believed it was what would happen without this interference.

Donna sucked in a sharp breath. What?

"That man seems to think he's doomed to be lonely, since he's the last of his kind and everyone he cares about is going to die before he will." Sarah Jane sighed heavily, feeling the weight of her words. "He must be worrying about the fact that he won't age like his companions do. It's like he thinks he doesn't deserve to be happy if he's just going to be alone again in the end."

Her chest felt like it was twisting. Oh, my poor Spaceman... No one deserves to be miserable... Yet she _knew_ that they were definitely speaking the truth; she'd seen the hurt and sadness in his eyes so many times.

Jack scoffed. "If anyone has the right to use that excuse, it's me. I can't die, so the problem is worse for me."

"So why get involved with people?" Wilf knew this was the critical part, and the questions came easily. "Why let yourself get attached?"

Donna thought that was a good question, and she wanted to hear the Immortal's answer.

Jack pretended to think about it for a long moment, but he'd thought this one over a lot over the years. The answer was amazingly simple. "If you don't have friends, people to consider as family, and... lovers, you're not living. Life is all about taking chances on others, and it's a painful existence otherwise. Hence his always having companions. But he's so bad with expressing his deepest feelings – and he _knows_ it – that I think he's scared to make himself be that vulnerable. Which is what he'd be if he put his hearts at Donna's feet; she could trample all over them with just one word."

A gasp escaped Donna's lips. She had to resist clapping a hand over her mouth; _that_ they would surely hear, even if they missed the other noise.

"Also," Sarah Jane added, on seeing confirmation that Donna's unconscious reaction _was_ overheard, "from what I've pieced together from talking with Jenny about the stories her parents have told her about their earlier travels, I think he's put himself in a bind. He didn't intend for Martha to fancy him, and I'm certain he had no clue how important Donna would become to him. So apparently, he said something about only wanting a friend. Now how does someone that rubbish with his own feelings overcome that? Especially when the woman he wants thinks of him as 'a long streak of nothing?' Alien nothing, at that?"

Donna had to sink to the ground; her legs couldn't support her weight. Spaceman was... already suffering from... broken hearts?

Wilf sighed. "It sounds like she's the best thing that's happened to him since he lost his people, and could become even more so."

"Oh," Jack interjected, "maybe the best thing _ever_ to happen to him. I mean, he doesn't talk about his family, but I bet that no one has ever challenged him in the ways that he's helped others."

Donna could see her grandfather nod through the bush that was hiding her. "So," Wilf queried, "you accept the extra pain?"

"Oh, it doesn't get easier." Jack couldn't keep the tightness out of his voice, but he knew it would suit the situation. "Life, after all, is all about pain. But the memories... Those are the comforts you carry, to keep you smiling because you did have good things happen to you. If anyone could convince the Doctor of that, it's Donna. But do you think there's any chance she could see him as more than a friend? He's so scared of his own feelings that I can't see him making the first move. Not without major encouragement."

Donna felt her throat constrict. This seemed like an ominous event waiting to happen. But it was just like the infamous train wreck analogy; she couldn't turn away even if she'd wanted to.

Wilf sighed, not needing to force a sad note into it. "I wish she would. I love my granddaughter deeply, but she sometimes has such narrow ideas about what would suit her. Her grandmother wasn't really like the kind of woman I thought I'd marry, but I kept an open mind. If she would just open her eyes to what's in front of her... I hope she's able to reconsider that like she did her first refusal of his travel offer. Sounds like she could hurt him more than he's been hurt before, and yet he's the best thing that ever happened to her."

The weight of the universe fell on Donna's shoulders, heart, and mind. She never wanted to hurt her Spaceman. She wanted him to feel lighter, to be able to be happy. And to learn that she might hold the key to it in her hands...?

Sarah Jane sighed. "Guess we should go inside. I promised Luke and his friends dinner, and I might as well feed all of you. And make sure that banana cake turned out well."

Donna found enough strength to hide herself further, but not enough to flee. She knew she would make herself obvious, and she couldn't stand the thought of the mortification that would mean.

The trio stood and started walking away. Jack noted, "You know, if I thought it would work, I'd start flirting with Donna to provoke a jealous reaction in the Doctor. Make him act."

Sarah Jane laughed, with a bitter tone. "Except for the chance – mind, I think it's slim to none at this point – that she'd fall for your antics. Besides, that over-developed guilt would probably make him remain silent, and back away – defeating the purpose."

Oi! Donna felt offended that they'd think she could do more than maybe flirt a little back after Jack wouldn't hug her. But did that mean he thought she... was the Doctor's woman?

"Yeah," Jack admitted. "Which is why I won't. It'd backfire horribly, and I'm not going to be the one to cause him extra pain. I just wish he could be happy."

The heavy feeling crept all over Donna's being, tying her to the ground for ever longer. Rendering her barely able to think, and needing them to leave so she could recover herself.

The conspirators waited until they were nearly at the house before talking again. When he was sure they were out of sight, Jack grinned and whispered, "If she doesn't see him in a new way after that, then I've completely lost my touch."

Wilf rubbed his hands, shaking just a little from the enormity of what they just did. "Here's hoping my little General has as big a heart as I always thought she does."

Sarah Jane nodded. "Let's hope the others had as much luck with the Doctor..."

Meanwhile, Donna's mind was processing what she heard. "Can this be possible?" She had to whisper; she needed to hear her voice to hash this out. "He wants _me_? When I'm not thin, blond, or even not rude? I'm nothing special... Besides, he's not all that!"

Well, a traitorous part of her mind noted, he does have such lovely eyes, which one could lose themselves in their depths... His enthusiasm is infectious, and that voice is often nice to hear... And that smile is appealing, even at times sexy...

She slapped herself upside the head. "Get off it, Donna," she hissed at herself. "Could you even imagine yourself with him? That he could look at me?"

Then a memory fluttered into her awareness: "With this ring, I thee biodamp." He'd given her such a soft smile, and it was so odd given the circumstances. Could, she suddenly realized, he have been falling for me even then...?

But what startled her the most? How the memory of that smile, and the expression that accompanied it in his eyes, made her insides feel like liquid. And realizing that she'd felt kind of soft toward him even then.

Oh, bugger! Had she skipped lust and gone straight to love... with her best friend...? How the hell was she going to face him? Even if he does... feel that way, could it even work...?

"I've got to be imagining things," she muttered to the plants in front of her. "I just have to be!"


	3. He's Lim'd!

Author's Note: Here's another example of you're going to be frustrated with me. But trust me, this is going exactly where I want it now. It's setting up for one major happy ending. Just stick with me.

And another congrats to anyone who's lucky enough to be in England and have tickets...

/=/=/=/=/=/=/

CHAPTER THREE: HE'S LIM'D!

"Is he in yet?" Martha whispered into her phone, hoping Gwen could report what they needed to hear. He seemed to be taking extra time putting those bags away, and she was getting impatient to begin.

"About to enter the house," Gwen reported, equally quiet as she faked reading a book on Victorian England. She and Tosh still questioned the wisdom of this, but knew they were positioned where they might be able to see the Doctor's reactions – if he stayed close enough to be seen by the small mirror on the fireplace. When she saw his hand touch the door, she hissed, "Get ready!" And closed the phone as discretely as she could. Tosh composed herself and pretended to be working on her computer.

Jenny listened carefully for her father's footsteps, waiting for the right moment to nudge Martha to set the trap. She was rather excited to be part of a conspiracy that could only benefit her. After all, she had no urge to have to deal with anyone new, and why not give her Dad something that would let her have some extra time to herself...?

The Doctor was grumbling silently about bags and the whims of his companion, wondering how many of Donna's traits Jenny would practically absorb via osmosis. Helping Sarah Jane's boy might be a perfect distraction from figuring out just why Donna provoked so many strong reactions in him.

On feeling the gentle slap on the arm, Martha faked shock as she spoke – a bit loudly to make it sound real, "But are you sure, Mrs. Noble, that Donna loves the Doctor in that way?"

He froze stiff. _What_?

Sylvia needed no acting to fake her irritation. "Positive. I've been watching my daughter all her life. She's without question fallen for him – but acts in complete denial."

There – there had to be something going on here. He couldn't _not_ know what would be said next about his trusty companion. The Doctor found himself creeping closer to the kitchen, pressing himself as flat as he could manage to avoid being seen. Not knowing that a mirror in the living room allowed Tosh's hidden camera a perfect view of his face...

Martha, positive she heard a freezing of footsteps moments before, suppressed a grin. "Well, that kind of surprises me, given how many different insulting descriptions she's given about him."

A surprisingly soft snort reminded the Doctor of his companion, explaining where yet another trait came from – which might make hating Sylvia a _bit_ harder, and he waited for the answer.

Sylvia nodded, pretending she was a little too focused on the vegetables she was cutting. "Oh, Donna is just that kind of person. Insults are sometimes a way of showing affection. Just shows that she's not going to take you too seriously or set you up to be something you're not. It's a sign of how comfortable she is with you."

The Doctor's eyebrows bounced as that information was absorbed. Did that, he suddenly wondered, mean that 'long streak of nothing' wasn't as sharp a criticism as he'd thought?

"But," Jenny commented, finding a genuine observation to ask about, "I've noticed that she seems to use them based off what she really thinks about someone. I've heard her give Dad... what's the word...? Hell over how skinny he is. Has she always hated her own appearance?"

He frowned hard. What was there to hate? She was _perfectly_ fine as she was! Really, he thought, Rose and Martha were a bit on the thin side. Humans of this age were far too obsessed over appearances.

"Oh, about since she started school," Sylvia sighed in memory. "First it was over the kids who made fun of her ginger hair. She actually dyed it a few times, hoping it would stop the teasing."

He sucked in a harsh breath through his nose. Oi, who did those kids think they were? Gingers are only the best people in the universe! He had images fluttering through his mind of ways he could make those idiots see the error of their ways if he ran into any of them, and thought little of the fact that he was instinctively thinking about defending Donna.

"And once she hit puberty," Sylvia continued sadly, "she gained weight and started a whole obsession with trying to become slimmer. It seemed like nothing worked for her, or something would happen to derail whatever progress she felt she'd made."

I don't see why she or anyone, the Doctor thought, should be so concerned. She's perfectly lovely with what she has. Really, he suddenly realized, if she lost a bunch of weight, I'd be having to beat off all of the men who wouldn't be able to ignore her awesomeness... That idea made his heart clench.

Having done some reading earlier in the day, Jenny found another thing to comment on. "What is it about 'progress' that makes having curves a problem? Mum's body would've been called that of a goddess earlier in Earth's history, right?"

Yes, he reflected with an absent nod, it would have... Still ought to be considered – Ooh... Better make sure we don't go to any worlds where she might be worshiped by the natives. Just like ones that – apparently like those idiots she went to school with – don't appreciate gingers.

"True," Martha noted. "Of course, for all those self-image issues, Donna isn't lacking self-respect. She might let people's comments get to her, but she sure lets them have it for being rude."

The Doctor grinned, thinking of more than a few times when Donna had let someone have it. Including him. Quite amazing, he thought, even when she's angry.

Jenny hid a grin over her idea for the next thing to say. Research in the TARDIS library about Dad's past is going to pay off... "In other words, while she doesn't think well of herself, she's not the type to just wait for a man to rescue her. She'll try to find ways of rescuing herself, and even avoiding needing to be rescued in the first place because she's smart enough to know when to keep her hands off strange alien objects."

Well, the Doctor thought, that first time doesn't count. She didn't realize her own power then. Now that she has, she's a force for the universe to behold. Though something nagged him about the description Jenny gave. It reminded him of someone...

Sylvia wiped the knife to change uses. "See, I can't help but worry about my daughter. That maybe I spent her childhood focusing on the wrong things, and that my mistakes unwittingly encouraged her into relationships with men who weren't good for her. She eventually saw the light each time, but her confidence took a huge beating in the process. It's like she was willing to just settle for whoever was willing to have her."

Oi! The Doctor's hackles raised to the level of an angry Slitheen. He could see, between this and what Donna had told him, how Lance had manipulated her. And all he could think about were creative ways he could've punished Lance had the Empress not condemned him. He could only use a Gallifreyan word that had a _very_ nasty English translation to describe that human...

"So," Sylvia added, letting all of her real frustrations through, "do you see why I'm worried that that... bonkers alien has completely thrown her future into shambles? It's like she exchanged one crazy way of living for another."

Okay, now the Doctor had a harder time hating Sylvia Noble for her actions since there was an understandable reason driving them. Not that he could forgive her so easily about how harshly she'd talked to Donna...

"Okay, wait." Martha pretended to interrupt a rant – when they had actually outlined their plan of attack. "Trouble might find the Doctor, but he's always seeking a solution to it. Trying to save lives, even entire planets. He does carry a heavy burden doing that, and he definitely needs someone to balance him out. From what Donna has said to me, I think she likes making a difference and doing something that will truly be worthwhile with her life. If anything, she feels she's grown in leaps and bounds as a person. She and I are both better people for knowing him."

You mean... you _have_ forgiven me for being a heel to you, Martha?

Jenny snorted. "But not everyone has the character to accept the challenges that would allow them to grow up," she noted drily. "And yet he has trouble accepting that sometimes you need to just let someone go?"

The Doctor sensed that he _should_ know what they were talking about, have some clue as to what - or who – Jenny was referring to. He just couldn't see it yet.

Sylvia stopped her work, and turned to face Martha. "So you're saying that he should find out just how often her eyes light up when she talks about him? How protective she is of him when others insult him? Of how this seems to be the most mature, selfless love she's ever experienced in her life? The kind I always wanted her to find with a human man?"

The Doctor gasped, feeling like his hearts had stopped beating for a long moment before increasing to a near gallop. And hoped his unintentional sound wasn't overheard.

Jenny's Time-Lady ears, however, did catch it. "Well," she grinned, knowing her Dad couldn't see her smugness, "what's the problem? We should tell him."

Martha had been waiting impatiently for this moment, the chance to mess good and well with the Doctor's mind. She nearly shouted, "No!"

The Time-Lord startled, painfully aware that his movements made audible noise. But he couldn't care. He had to know what Martha meant by that!

"Explain that." Sylvia found the sharp, demanding tone easy to produce. This, she knew, would be the pivotal moment of this part of the conspiracy. Let's hope this alien plays along...

Martha was only too happy to begin her part. "I promise you both, if you love Donna, that you'll wish her to remain oblivious to her own feelings rather than consciously struggle with suppressing them – as she'll have to if she becomes aware of them."

The Doctor's respiratory bypass had to kick in when he couldn't make his lungs work. He couldn't even reflect on how it felt to have the wind metaphorically knocked out of you.

Jenny thought her faked gasp was worthy of an award. "But why? She's the most deserving woman of being happy! Surely Dad could make that possible!"

"Oh, my God!" Martha was glad that she needed only to tap into what had become dormant to make the whole thing seem real. "I know Donna deserves every happiness the universe could give someone, but I'm afraid I have to bust your bubble about your father, Jenny. I can't imagine the universe creating a pair of _prouder_ hearts than his. He always made me feel like second best with how often he spoke of Rose."

Oh, Rassilon! I should've seen this coming. He knew he'd behaved unfairly to Martha because there hadn't been anyone who could make him move past the dramatic loss of a dear friend, but he wasn't prepared for Jenny to learn about it.

"Wait." Jenny's tone turned deadly, as she knew it would when they got to here. She folded her arms instinctively. "That blondish, selfish, never-knew-when-to-keep-her-hands-off-alien-things teenager with almost no common sense? TARDIS showed me some of her time aboard, and I swear she makes me look like a mature adult! Me, who knows so little about living!"

A tiny flinch crossed the Doctor's face as he tensed over hearing himself fall from his girl's grace. How bad did his time with Rose look to someone who was practically just as young as Rose had been?

"I don't know much for sure," Martha growled, "and I'm not positive how much credit we should give the Doctor's descriptions. But – before I go on – just how did you find out about her actions?" Oh, she'd already heard some of it, but she wondered which ones Jenny would use to show her righteous indignation.

What she was about to say might get her in trouble eventually, but Jenny didn't care. She was a young woman on a mission, and would not accept failure. "I was asking the TARDIS questions about Dad's previous companions, and I couldn't believe what she had to show me about this particular tart. I thought my father was a wiser man than to let a girl who grasped _nothing_ about time-line consequences see her father before he died! I thought he knew better than to play a fool for a girl's amusement around a monarch who had good reason to not be... 'amused.' Or to be okay with her not thinking twice about leaving her mother in a parallel world – especially when she wasn't upset about never seeing her again!"

If she thinks that I hadn't thought about those moments before, during, and after the fact, she's wrong... It was the only thought he managed as past guilt reared its ugly head once again. Guilt for messing up other lives, as well as his own. Along with the start of shame as he felt Jenny's anger at him. And Martha's tone suggested that he'd hurt her more than he'd realized...

Sylvia didn't need much acting skill to shove frustrated anger into her voice. "So he acted all... hung up over this girl?"

Martha let out an incoherent growl, feeling old grievances bubble up and threaten to derail her thoughts. But that medical training proved a godsend. "God, yes! It felt like if there was anything that could remind him of her, he had to mention it. I bet the only reason he's gotten better at it is because he quickly learned to not provoke one of Donna's slaps. She doesn't seem like she would've tolerated his moping for long."

Moping? His hackles raised once again – albeit a bit subdued. I couldn't have been as bad as Martha remembers, and... Wow, I haven't thought even remotely about Rose since Donna mentioned her inside Adipose Industries... and that had been a while since the time before that...

Which was the first time he'd allowed himself to think about the events of The Year That Never Was since Martha left him.

"Good for Mum." Jenny's hands itched to find Rose Tyler and slap her into becoming an adult, but she had to get through to her Dad first. "But don't you think there's a chance that he could look at her with something that could grow into love?"

Martha sighed, sagging against a counter. "I wish he could. You know, for someone who's so brilliant, he's awfully thick sometimes. Especially when it comes to others' feelings."

Tell me something, he thought idly, that I don't already know about myself...

"Besides," Martha added, "I don't wish her to become another me if he did find out."

No! No, I'd never be like that to her! She's too special to let anyone – especially me – treat her like she's second best! Martha didn't deserve what I gave her, and I won't let that happen to Donna!

"Well," Jenny muttered, hoping for a good strike with this barb, "he must be a dumb male if he can't see how superior _you_, Martha, are to Rose. Makes his not seeing Mum that way – and how awkward he was when I asked to call her Mum – make sense. Sadly."

The Doctor suddenly had flashes of Jenny playing with several young ginger children – all with their eyes and Donna's features. Wait, I've thought of mini-Donnas before? How did I miss that?

Sylvia had held this one in for the right moment, and now seemed perfect. "So you're telling me that he's just going to be another man who caught my daughter's eye, but who merely took one look at my girl and saw absolutely _nothing_ he wanted?"

The Doctor sharply sucked in a breath. Immediate implications of Sylvia's words aside, he _really_ wanted to know just how many men had treated Donna like that. His fingers itched to drag those losers somewhere dark and teach them a lesson. But to be lumped in with them? No, I'm better than that to Donna! There's so much about her to want-

At that moment, he suddenly felt like he'd been blind and abruptly could see. With crystal clarity. It nearly made him sink to the ground under the weight of his stampeding hearts.

Jenny groaned. "What is it that stops him from loving her? Is it something that bothers him about her, or is it just him and his crazy notions?"

No, he slowly realized, that whole thing about her bags just... threw me for a huge loop. No one had ever done that before, and I still don't know how to handle it...

Martha had a flashback to a conversation that she'd nearly forgotten about. "You know, once during one of our adventures, I observed to him that, 'You'd enjoy anything, wouldn't you?' But I soon found out a qualifier to that: he wasn't comfortable with things that smacked of being domestic. Given how he reacted to the domesticity that came from being trapped in 1969, I wonder if he's even capable of taking pleasure from doing little things for Donna for no reason but to make her smile."

With the floodgates of what might as well have been the Time Vortex itself opened, the Doctor saw all of the times he'd made tea for Donna. The times he'd cooked – just to prove that he could! – and then it becoming more common. Teaching her to pilot the TARDIS, making it snow for her, choosing Earth's creation to show her... He'd been doing those little things almost since he'd met her... and had no problem with the domesticity of them!

Oh, Rassilon, I'm in trouble...

"I mean," Martha added, because they couldn't completely pound on the Doctor when she wanted him at all but begging at Donna's feet, "for all the times he wasn't fair to me, I still have a great deal of affection for the Doctor. I really wish that he could find it in himself to take a hard look at his life and see how special what he has really is."

He couldn't hear anymore; he'd fall to the ground if he stayed put. And be heard. And how embarrassing would that be? Jenny would practically have his head given how angry she sounded, and Sylvia... would probably mount it over the fireplace while Martha watched... Better get away to give them some cooling off time...

So he managed to rush up the stairs quietly – although he looked like he was running from something deadly. And he was: from the truth.

Once he was safely upstairs, Gwen and Tosh faked a coughing fit to signal his absence to the others. Martha had been thinking of something extra, but stopped on hearing their version of "time." The Torchwood ladies slipped into the kitchen to give the waiting ladies – who promptly crowded them – their report. "Well," Jenny demanded, all traces of anger vanishing in her excitement, "what did you see?"

"I think we can safely say," Gwen announced as she grinned wickedly, "to paraphrase Shakespeare, he's lim'd and caught! He's feeling the full weight of love now."

Jenny giggled, struggling to keep it down, and clapped her hands once. "You didn't happen to get it on camera, did you?" She really wanted to know what his face looked like at each important moment of their trap.

Tosh's own smile turned mischievous as she held up her concealed camera. "Every expression. He can't deny his own feelings now."

Martha grinned wickedly. "I'm looking forward to being able to one day lord this over him. Once they've sorted things out, of course."

Sylvia snorted, not unlike her daughter. "You do know we can never let them know we did this, right?"

"Of course," Martha added. "But that doesn't mean we can't reminisce over wine one day." The ladies had to suppress their laughter so it wouldn't make it upstairs.

What none of them knew was that, as the Doctor hurried to teach Luke in whatever he needed, his mind was on a rather dark path. Oh, Donna, he thought, I know you deserve more than what even they said. But how can I give you what you need when we're so different...? When you deserve so much better than an alien who's done so many dark things...? All I can do is try to help you see how magnificent you are, letting someone worthy of you see you... even if it just about kills me...


	4. Bid Them Come in to Dinner

Author's Note: This chapter gave me headaches, but I have a feeling that Chapters 5 and 6 might be harder yet. On the other hand, I do have a more complete "outline" to work from...

And don't be too upset; things couldn't be as easy for these two as it was for Benedict and Beatrice. I know that sounds weird, but this pairing has a lot more baggage to deal with...

/=/=/=/=/=/=/

CHAPTER FOUR: BID THEM COME IN TO DINNER

Donna had made herself wait a while before letting her feet carry her inside. It had taken a lot of talking to herself about needing to exert self-control and restraint over her expressive face. And she had a lot to consider – and struggle with.

Only the Doctor has a more expressive face, she thought, which begs the question of how could I miss what they think they saw. Sarah Jane doesn't lie to people like us, although I'm sure she'd lie in the process of solving some alien-related problem. But surely we can't know all there is to know about Time-Lords, not even Jack. I mean, Gramps' alien fascination must be letting him think there might be half-alien great-grandchildren in his future. That explains him. Sarah Jane must want the Doctor to be happy, and maybe Jack falls into that mindset as well.

Yes, she told herself, they have to be seeing things. Besides, even if he is, it has to be because he can't have who he really wanted... And he's so uncertain of how to behave and whether he deserves happiness... I want to help take that pain away, but do I even have what it would take to handle that? It may be kinder to maintain an oblivious air...

"Oh, there you are!" It was Luke's friend again, this time bringing Owen inside. "Dinner's ready!"

Donna managed a smile. "Coming, sweetheart. I'm just taking my time walking."

She nodded, and half-dragged Owen in with her. Donna then noticed Ianto following them inside, having walked up from the other side of the yard. Taking a phone call, she noticed judging by his closing a phone with a smile. I'm guessing family, but I heard he's single. Maybe a sibling's children...

He held the door for her, and she walked in, bracing herself to not let anything persuade her that she felt more than she was sure she did for her best friend. She didn't notice how Ianto was eying her, and looking sympathetically at her...

/=/=/=/=/=/

Upstairs, the Doctor had forced his mind into the basic levels of science so he could explain to Luke the cellular concepts that the school apparently thought teenagers his age should know. Normally, it would have made him mourn for the loss of the knowledge banks of the Academy – even though he'd hated being a student there. Luke's mind was ready for a lot more advanced ideas than his Earth-bound education had going for him.

Actually, the TARDIS library would have done just fine to provide a plethora of information. Not to mention distractions to the Doctor's troubled mind. And Rassilon, did he need one! The TARDIS had managed to give him some new project whenever he was falling into depression over something, or the loss of someone. Okay, sometimes it was something beyond either of their influences, as the sudden appearance of Donna Noble in her wedding gown had proved. But it gave him a new focus, and usually allowed him to start bouncing back from whatever funk he'd slumped into.

This time, however, his mind wouldn't let go of what he'd overheard. Or what it forced him to realize about his feelings. I'm the biggest bloody idiot, he told himself more than once. There I was, so worried over what had happened with Martha, and I should've kept my mouth shut about just wanting a mate. Who knew I might be ruining something when I was trying to protect us both?

Should've remembered that my plans that don't involve saving a world don't work out... I just thought some honesty up front would be for the best...

The growing smell of warm, fresh banana cake managed to shake him momentarily out of his thoughts, and apparently Luke had had enough of studying and was hungry. It was the first time he'd smelled something with bananas in it – in this incarnation – and not been absolutely delighted.

Fear of the unknown, especially regarding feelings, apparently negated quite a bit of the pleasure he took from life. Not to mention the terror brought by the realization that he had no clue how to act around Donna anymore. If she was in denial, then... he had to be damn careful how he behaved around her now. I don't want her to suffer...

/=/=/=/=/

The conspirators were getting impatient waiting to implement the next, and much more delicate part of the plan. Having reeled them in with the traps, now it was time to find subtle ways of coaxing them into being a bit more honest with each other. That was Sarah Jane's contribution to the plan, thinking that an extremely gentle approach would be needed since both would likely be in a bit of shock.

Certainly they needed to give them some time to adjust. Sylvia had insisted on it. Of course, Jack – being who he was – thought that they could find the right hints to prod things in the right direction.

When Donna entered, Ianto made a point of glaring over her shoulder at Jack. Trying to communicate, Don't you think you maybe took it too far?

The Immortal pretended he didn't see it, but he did feel a twinge of sadness that the lovely Welshman wouldn't have anything to do with the matchmaking. The man's input, he'd said, would've been fantastic to have along for the ride.

Martha had looked at the others, and shared an eye-roll with the other Torchwood Cardiff members. Yeah, they could read between the lines. Wasn't hard when dealing with what seemed like the randiest human that ever lived, and could ever live!

"Ah, there you are!" Wilf had probably the hardest immediate task; getting his granddaughter comfortable again after participating in upsetting her equilibrium. "We heard you were back, but we haven't seen you. Where did he go? The TARDIS didn't go anywhere."

Donna's face flushed, and she ruthlessly squashed the bubbling feelings inside. "Oh, I needed a little walk. Spaceman was driving me crazy with all his questions at Tesco's. Glad I managed to prevent him from causing a scene." It took everything to not flinch at how she sounded.

The lightness was faked, and they wondered how aware of it she was. Sylvia was pretty sure that her daughter was painfully aware of it. She sighed, and held up the dish she was bringing from the kitchen. "I made your old favorite, Donna."

That brought a genuine smile to Donna's face, and lightness to her heart. "Gran's lasagna recipe?"

Her mother nodded, her own smile mirroring Donna's. "Jenny wanted to try it, and apparently Luke has never had a home-made version."

Any response Donna might have made was cut off by the sounds of someone coming down the stairs. Luke, from the sound of it, Donna thought. Then she heard the boy call out, "Come on, Doctor! I'm hungry and you're going to have competition for that cake!"

"Oi!" The exclamation made Donna, having frozen momentarily before she collected herself, look away from the direction of the voices. "I'd like to think that your mum will save me some."

Sarah Jane smirked, finding a prime tension breaker. She playfully called out, "Want to place a bet on that, Doctor?"

The whole room heard the answering groan, and some footsteps picked up the pace. "Because you're not that mean."

He finally appeared, and was about to add something when he made eye contact with Donna. She quickly broke it, not noticing the flush coming over his face, and quickly moved to sit next to Sarah Jane. "Tell me, was he always a cake fiend?"

Meanwhile, the Doctor's face had gained quite a bit of color, but he dropped his gaze almost at the same moment Donna turned away. So he didn't realize anything was off. Not that he could let a volley against his food preferences go unchallenged... "I'll have you know, Donna, that cakes are an important part of several Gallifreyan traditions."

Donna snorted, grateful that it sounded spontaneous as she sat down – not noticing the slightly bewildered expression on her new friend's face. "And how many of those were banana-flavored?"

He frowned, risking a glare in her direction – but not quite meeting her eyes, the conspirators noticed. "You know that they didn't exist on Gallifrey! We didn't even have chocolate!"

"Ooh!" Donna managed a genuine laugh – with a tiny shudder at the thought. "How unfortunate!"

Jack clapped his hands. "Right! Food's all ready, so let's eat!" He, Wilf and Sylvia wound up teaming to serve everyone something of everything – with a few people getting extra large portions (like Jenny and the Doctor getting extra banana cake). They made a point of keeping talk about food to calm the evident bickering session that was brewing.

Which made more than one person concerned. They knew they'd been overheard; Gwen and Tosh had captured proof in the Doctor's case, and Owen had mouthed that Donna's reflective mood looked promising. So what was the deal with their modern-day Benedict and Beatrice? Why were they still arguing and not looking speculatively at each other?

Jenny, having provided Donna with food, sat down on the couch next to Donna's chair, leaving space for someone to join her and Wilf – on the side nearest to Donna. "Dad, come join us!"

Both of her parents flinched slightly, and Jenny felt it necessary to risk sending her father a telepathic message: I don't want Jack to even try...

It worked. The Doctor didn't like the thought of the randy Immortal being anywhere near his girl. Well, either of them, he admitted to himself; vivid memories of the morning came back with a vengeance. I can do this... If I can face the Daleks, he told himself as he walked with measured steps to join his daughter, then I can handle this dinner party...

Donna had to force herself to breathe evenly and take measured bites – even as her heart fluttered wildly when he sat down nearby. Just pretend, she told herself, that you're still miffed at him over the Tesco nonsense and you can't be bothered to meet his gaze again. Yes, that should do very well for the rest of tonight. I'll think of something for later...

The Doctor started digging in before he even sat, and sitting required all the self-control he had to keep his expression neutral. His hands needed to be busy, so going at the large banana cake slice seemed a safe bet. After all, he knew, I've developed a rather embarrassing habit of blurting things out loud around Donna that I'd rather keep to myself...

Now the rest of the room was really concerned. Feeling Ianto sending another glare asking what they were thinking, Jack decided to take action. "Jeez, what crawled up your asses today?"

Both of their targets sputtered, nearly choking on the bites they'd just swallowed. Sarah Jane made sure Donna was okay, which she was. Jenny merely gave her father a hard slap on the back, which dislodged the meat that was blocking his airway. He tried glaring at her, but she just raised a delicate eyebrow in an odd challenge – which, remembering her anger in the kitchen, he wisely decided to not engage.

Sarah Jane decided it was time to intervene a little. "I'm guessing that something happened at Tesco's to provoke this one, am I right?"

The Doctor flinched, waiting to get another tirade. But Wilf got in first. "Well, why are you surprised? He is an alien, and he said he doesn't go shopping. So what was the problem?"

"He asked too many questions!" Donna looked at them like it was a stupid question.

Before the Doctor could defend himself, Jenny had to comment. "But I would've asked all sorts of questions, too. You said that's because I'm still a child at heart and in mindset. And haven't you called my Dad the biggest kid in the universe?"

The sheer innocent nature of the questions disarmed Donna and took away her anger. She wanted to growl over losing the right to be upset over how her Spaceman had nearly embarrassed her to pieces, but Jenny was right. Still, it was- Wait, she realized, my Spaceman. Oh, God, got to stop that thinking right away!

If only he were watching her play of expressions, Martha thought as she watched Donna's dismay and the Doctor's refusal to look up. "Hey," she added, "we all know the Doctor has his oblivious moments, and there's a lot he could still learn about how humans live. I know you can let go of whatever he did – even if it was worthy of a slap."

The Doctor flinched. Okay, he thought, maybe I do need to keep my mouth shut more often and let Donna handle things that she's an expert at. Though it is nice to watch her tell others off when they need it- Oh, bugger! He forced his attention back on his food, taking a huge bite of his cake slice.

"Well," Wilf declared, sensing that this needed another distraction, "I've always wanted to know what day-to-day life is like on your ship, Doctor. What is a typical day like for you and Donna?"

Donna flushed, remembering the conversation she overheard. Oh, God, Gramps, please don't go too far...

The Doctor didn't look at his companion; he wasn't sure he could hide his own feelings from her observant eyes. And that seemed critical to keeping status quo, which he was desperately hoping to keep. "It's not right to call things day or night inside the TARDIS; those distinctions are really artificial by any measure."

"But," Sarah Jane noted, "the TARDIS does adjust the lighting to help us adjust and rest. Although it came take _her_ some time to adjust to _us_ being there."

Donna looked up in surprise. And disbelief.

Martha snorted. "Yeah, I remember feeling like I'd gotten a really crummy room for the first few weeks."

Jenny was watching her Mum's reactions, and wondered why she showed no recognition in any of the hints. Although she wanted to know just what the Old Girl had done that was making her Dad look rather chagrined.

Jack laughed. "It's as if she's intent on playing practical jokes until she's sure that we're really staying. She's kinda like a spoiled child, sometimes."

Sylvia frowned, and turned to her daughter. "Has that box been that way with you? Why would you put up with that?"

The answer was stunned, but completely honest: "Because she's never done any of that to me."

She was staring at the other companions, and missed the Doctor's eyes darting to her face in shock. The Old Girl, he realized with a start, has been extraordinarily well-behaved toward Donna! What's going on...?

Jack stared, astonished. "You mean not one time did she make you lose your way?"

Martha added, "Or endure a room that wasn't very pleasant?"

Sarah Jane pitched in, "Or interrupt quiet time with some prank?"

Donna shook her head. "Nope. No pranks, a good room right away, and she never lets me lose my way when I go exploring."

The Doctor's eyes were fixed on her face in wonder. It's like my ship loves her more than she loves me! Oi, she's even that way with Jenny – although not so much; she's still getting used to her. So the TARDIS really wants Donna to stay...? But he quickly looked back to his food, digging in harder, when Donna's eyes whipped to face him.

"Oi! Your ship needs a good talking to! These are decent people, and she was acting like a child trying to get rid of a step-parent?" For the first time all evening, Donna wanted to look Spaceman in the eye and see what his culpability was in this revelation. She wanted to think better of him, but could he be giving off signals that he didn't realize he was? If Martha's unrequited love was any indication, he was more than capable of it.

Having stuffed the last bite – a rather big one that most of the room thought he should've choked on – in his mouth, the Doctor surprised everyone by managing to chew and swallow fast enough to answer within seconds. "I had nothing to do with any of that. I kept trying to make the Old Girl stop it. But the more I whacked her with my mallet or anything else I could get my hands on, the more she played her tricks. She'd even take things out of where I usually kept them!"

His refusal to meet her eyes was just as striking as her inability to keep looking his way even if he wasn't looking up.

Jack raised his free hand, placating. "All right, I guess TARDIS life is off-topic for now."

"The rest of you can talk about it all you like," the Doctor suddenly said, putting his plate down. No one had realized how quickly he'd eaten. "I need to have a long talk with my ship, and then it'll be high time to get a move on. Jenny, Donna, how much longer will you two be?"

Donna put her plate down just as quickly. "I'm done." She'd had her favorites, and had lost her appetite holding back her emotions.

When she stood, the room noticed the most striking thing of the evening: their hands unconsciously reached for each other, but then each caught themselves and pulled away before contact could be established. It seemed that neither realized what the other had done.

Jenny needed to buy herself some time. "I'll be a few minutes, Dad. I want to bring some of this food back with us."

"Fine," the Doctor said, rather quickly. It wasn't sharp, but his patience was clearly at its end.

Which wasn't saying much; only scientific things seemed to grant him patience. Everything else? Woe to those around him...

Sylvia stood, trying to stop the fleeing. "Wait a minute, young lady! We've barely seen you and you're just going to gallivant off?"

Donna shook her head as she quickly moved to hug her mother. "No, I'm just suddenly tired. I'll go relax for a while before the next adventure, but I really need my room in the TARDIS right now." She forced herself to not think about how relaxing evenings in the Doctor's company had been until her eyes were opened to... what was apparently the truth. She planted a kiss on Sylvia's cheek. "I'll call soon."

She followed that up with a goodbye to Wilf. He managed to stop his daughter with a brief touch on the arm. "Be careful, my girl. And you, Doctor, you take care of her!"

"She doesn't let me," the alien quipped, the lightness not quite hiding the sadness behind the words.

"That's because," Donna explained, aiming for a teacher's tone but sounding squeakier than she realized, "you're the one who needs looking after, Sunshine!"

"Oi!" But the protest wasn't strong. It sounded more like, please, Donna, not now...

And, judging from the fact that she just bid farewell to each person instead, and let the Doctor do his own form of goodbye at his pace, she heard it. Jenny kept busy by packing food – and not just for the TARDIS – and waited for them to finish. She had to say she'd be another minute, to buy herself time to plot with her conspirators again.

When the two would-be-loves finally left the house, and the door closed behind them, Jack turned to the room, baffled. "How the hell," he whispered, not wanting to chance how close the two might be, "did we misread that? It was the perfect plan. What went wrong?"

Jenny exhaled sharply, lips blowing out. It felt strange to have the answer when she was the most innocent in matters of the heart – as she'd heard it put earlier in the day. "I think we accidentally made our own words about what they were feeling come true because we underestimated those insecurities Martha mentioned. He's clearly feeling completely unworthy of her, and now she's in active denial of her own feelings."

Dr. Jones slapped her forehead. Hard. "God, why didn't I think of that? Of course they'd feel a need to put up their guards! We just upset their entire equilibrium!"

Sarah Jane sighed. "Guess we have some work to do on those insecurities. Anyone have ideas?"

"I don't think I can spare much more time without Dad coming back out and possibly discovering what we're up to," Jenny noted. "And that would be _very_ bad."

Nodding, Sylvia voiced a thought. "I can see quite a few of us brushing up on our Shakespeare if we're going to keep this up."

Jack clapped his hands together. "Okay, that's a good idea. I'm liking this a little too much to let it go, and he came _so_ close to letting his guard down when he realized how much the TARDIS loves Donna. The right push has to be within our reach. Jenny, as soon as you're alone and will be for a while, call us."

The Time-Lady nodded. Donna had arranged earlier that day for Jenny to carry one as a tool for future adventures, and so she could call her Nan and Gramps whenever she wanted without having to bother either of her parents. The Doctor had promptly done the necessary sonic adjustments to make it work just like Donna's or the TARDIS'. He'd had practice, he'd muttered under his breath, as if not quite wanting to remember the first time he'd done that. Jenny suspected the recipient was Rose, which made her internally frown.

Sarah Jane handed her a bag to carry it all, and Jenny slung it over her shoulder before hugging the woman. "It was good to meet you.," Jenny whispered.

"You're a delight to know," Sarah Jane beamed.

Martha smiled as she pulled her "niece" in for an embrace. "You try and keep them in the Vortex for a few days, all right? Give us a chance to strike while the iron is burning hot?"

"I'll see what I can do," she promised, giving handshakes to the various Torchwood members. But she didn't offer her hand to Jack without giving him a lethal glare first. Everyone could translate: _Don't, Jack._

The Immortal sighed, feeling let down again, but accepted the reluctant handshake. Better not, he realized, suggest that listening device again...

Jenny quickly hugged her family, and whispered promises of a visit. Then she hurried out to keep her father from coming back inside.

When she left, Jack turned to Martha, wanting to lift his own spirits. "So... How about telling us more about Shakespeare flirting with you?"

Martha couldn't help but laugh so hard her sides hurt. Ianto just rolled his eyes at Jack being Jack. The others, however, were undeniably curious...

/=/=/=/=/=/

"There you are!" The Doctor was relieved when Jenny opened the doors and came in – alone. He needed to get away from those prying eyes, and the accusations that he felt following him while around Martha and Sylvia. Jenny might have reason to be annoyed with him, but she was his daughter and still had reason to look up to him – and she knew it, if asking for his protection those moments earlier was any indication.

Jenny snorted, closing the doors behind her. "Where else would I be? I can only take so much exposure to Captain Horny-ness."

He couldn't help but snort. "Donna would like that one," he muttered aloud.

It's like he doesn't realize what he just said, she thought as she handed the bag over since he was reaching for it. Although Mum would like that one. Speaking of which... "Where's Mum?"

He paused in his exploring the contents, as if distracted. Then he forced his concentration back on cataloging their takings. "She said something about being in her room until morning. I wasn't going to get in her way or ask questions after today."

You're awfully tense, Dad. Are you thinking about something that I... shouldn't know about since you two are my parents? Or are you just trying to get your mind off of Mum now that you know how you feel about her?

"Ooh!" His excitement drew her out of her thoughts. "They saved us some banana cake! Lovely! We can share it when we have our lesson tonight. More Gallifreyan for you to learn!"

Hmm... He's particularly eager to be the teacher. Is he worried that I don't love him because of his "treatment" of Mum...? "Yeah, should I take these to the kitchen?" I need to figure a few things out, especially how we're going to get you two to break this new stalemate.

He nodded vigorously. "Yep! I'll send us into the Vortex for a bit. We'll probably have an adventure in a day or two. Meet you in the kitchen in about an hour; I have some repairs to finish."

He hurried through the actions – a bit more rushed than usual – and Jenny mentally shook her head and walked casually away. "See ya in a bit, Dad." At least I'll have a moment to call them, and maybe do a bit of research...

The TARDIS made the kitchen door suddenly appear, to her relief. Putting everything away in a rush, Jenny sighed loudly. "Romantic love is an insane situation. Why would anyone keep going for it?" Sighing, she remembered a bit of the quick lesson in Shakespearean insults she'd gotten from Jack and Nan. "Might as well get thee to a nunnery at some point, J. Not like you'd be missing out on anything."

_How long will that wish last, Jenny_, the TARDIS suddenly asked her. _After all, once your parents get their act together, you will likely be inspired by what they will have._

Jenny shook her head and walked briskly to the ship's library. "I'll believe it when it happens," she muttered to the ceiling. "Or if it does."

Times like this, the Old Girl wanted a way she could physically slap sense into her humanoids... They were so alike, no matter how different the species were! Mental slaps only did so much, as her pilot proved on a regular basis... Still... _I'll delay him an extra half-hour for you. The plan is a good one._

Relieved that the Old Girl was on their side, Jenny whispered, "So how many days should I give them before I try locking them in a cupboard?"

_Find something else to try first. If that doesn't work within a week, then I'll help you._

That gave Jenny a bounce to her steps. And a bigger grin when a huge unabridged collection of Shakespeare was waiting for her in the cozy library. She dove straight to locate the play they were using as their gamebook – strange phrase, she thought once again – and sought inspiration.

And stumbled onto the last efforts of the play's conspirators. "Ooh! They found notes each wrote about the other! Well, I can't trust that they'll do it on their own, but would it be too much to try to persuade them both into writing...?"

She'd need guidance on this one...


	5. Will Merely Be a DumbShow

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay. This took a lot longer than I wanted it to take. I had to get extra information to make the following chapters work the way I wanted, and then the editing process was rather lengthy.

Two shout-outs here. One to time_converges over at LiveJournal, for pointing me to a website of Doctor Who transcripts. That actually made things easier, even if it gave me a lot of material to work with. Also to tardis-mole, for sending me brief info on the Old Who companions. One nugget of info made its way into this chapter. You'll see in around... seven or eight chapters why I wanted the rest. Thank you both!

* * *

><p>CHAPTER FIVE: WILL BE MERELY A DUMB-SHOW<p>

Jack laughed over the five-way computer connection. "Jenny, you are a certifiable genius!"

The Time-Lady's answer was as matter-of-fact as her father's manners could be. "Of course. I'm the Doctor's Daughter."

Martha snickered, both over the answer and the situation that prompted it. "I can't believe you actually got them _both_ to write about their feelings for each other! Donna I can see since she's a human woman, but an alien who's total rubbish with his feelings? How did you do it?"

Jenny was feeling very smug. As she ought to be; she'd practically done the impossible. "Oh, I let each separately see me writing about my concerns about what it means to be a Time-Lady. I didn't say where I got the idea from, but I suggested that it was a good way of working through things that are bothering you. I think they both wanted to try something to exorcise their feelings. _Anything_, it seemed."

Sarah Jane smiled as she shook her head. "I bet it didn't work, based on how much you're smirking. You look like you've taken lessons in looking smug from your father."

Jenny snorted. "Oh, I didn't need that. Already had it as part of who I am."

On the last part of her screen, Sylvia and Wilf laughed over the girl's antics. "You're as resourceful and persuasive as your mother," Wilf complimented, making Jenny beam in pride.

"So..." More than one person could guess the Immortal's next line, and he didn't disappoint. "Going to read from them?"

Jenny stuck out her tongue. "Not bloody likely. I was embarrassed to read them once I got my hands on them, and believe me: it took a while before I was sure that they wouldn't realize I'd seized the papers."

Martha, having already rolled her eyes at Jack, leaned in. "Well, what can you determine about their mental states? Where are they in dealing with their feelings?"

She picked up several pages and, keeping the text facing her, waved them. "I was a bit surprised to find that Dad wrote quite a bit. Thank God for the TARDIS, or I wouldn't be able to read it; he actually writes in High Gallifreyan! I guess he was thinking he could keep it safe that way." She shared in a smug smile with everyone as she imagined how horrified he would be to realize just how little influence he _really_ had with his ship. "The highlights are that he actually wishes they could be together forever and that while he wants to give her children, he's not sure whether such children would themselves be fertile. There's apparently no indication of how the two types of DNA would interact."

Martha nodded, getting the problem. "Well, I remember that human woman and that cat-man from New New Earth. There must be medical ways of helping that along."

"Which he does ponder," Jenny added, fascination shining through what was for her the awkwardness of the subject. "I learned quite a bit about the universe from reading his rambling reflections on Mum. But..." Grinning, she flipped a few pages to find the one she wanted. "Something he wrote got me looking into the Old Girl's details about his past. Apparently, one of his past companions wed a Citadel Guard and actually conceived the first naturally born Gallifreyan in millenia!"

Her audience all gasped. "Wait!" Martha shook her head, trying to absorb that development. "What do you mean by 'naturally born?'"

Jenny grimaced. "Evidently, Gallifreyan society pushed itself so far away from what most humanoids consider basic elements of life cycles that all new Gallifreyans were artificially conceived and... grown, for lack of a better term."

Sylvia squawked, "You mean their babies weren't nurtured inside a womb?"

"No," Jenny sighed. "I mean, there were familial bonds, but the type of love that's known on Earth? The kind I've been able to watch? Considered beneath them. Not 'Time-Lordy.'" She used her fingers for air quotes, just like she'd seen Donna do. "With all that distance placed between their society and a basic emotional awareness, it's no wonder Dad's an even bigger idiot than most of the guys I've met when it comes to feelings."

"They sound like bloody Vulcans," Wilf exclaimed. "They didn't stand people who... broke tradition, did they?"

Jenny shook her head. "And that's the source of a lot of Dad's grief, I bet. The origin of a lot of his... problems, as I think Mum would put it. In any case... He 's not sure how much intervention was needed for Leela – that was her name – to conceive, and whether any of that technology could be recreated. Of course, he still questions whether he's good enough for her in any way. Wants her to be happy and all that."

Sylvia found a tiny smirk in her – despite the topic of moments before. "Well, a man is supposed to know he's extremely lucky when the woman he wants will have him. At least this shows that he respects my daughter. And speaking of Donna..."

Jenny read the trailing off correctly, and picked up just three different sheets. "She was reflecting on what kind of a woman would be best for Dad, and coming up with all sorts of excuses for why she isn't that woman. However, I think she could tell that some were hollow, and I think she's getting close to no longer denying her feelings. A little push in the right direction, and I think they'll be on a level playing field. Ripe for the next stage of our plan." Her eyes flickered up to the ceiling for a moment, in thought, and they widened. "Blimey, I think they might be ready now..."

Jack leaned in, eagerly. "What makes you say that?"

She briefly closed her eyes to recall the events in detail. "I was sitting with Mum in here earlier, after breakfast. I'd just nicked her papers and was reviewing them – pretending to be reading about temporal mechanics. She was reading from – of all things – a book of Shakespeare's sonnets."

The Immortal's grin went wider. "Talk about the _real_ food of love."

Jenny rolled her eyes at the source, but grinned at the sentiment. "Anyway, I realized she was staring at one page for over ten minutes. She only came out of it when Dad entered, talking about some repair he'd just finished. She flushed so much I thought she'd pass out. And he's _so_ oblivious that he didn't look up until she'd looked firmly away and dropped the book. She muttered something about getting ready for the day and hurried out – trying to not look like she was rushing to avoid saying or doing something she wasn't ready for."

"Ah!" Wilf sighed aloud. "Not good with feeling vulnerable. That's our Donna."

"Sounds like the Doctor, too," Sarah Jane noted sagely.

Jenny continued, "Then he looked worried about her, but it was like he's at a total loss as to what he can do. Which I find really odd given what we know he overheard. She's acted the same way when he's diving into repairs or talking about random things as a distraction, by the way."

"So," Jack interjected, "what did he do then?"

"Nothing, except walk over to see what she was reading. I decided to mention which side of the open book she'd focused on." Jenny smirked. "He spent at least twenty minutes looking at it before deliberately going back to... work on more repairs, as he put it."

That got everyone's attention. "Which sonnet," Sylvia demanded, "was it?"

"Um..." Jenny pulled the copy and opened it to the bookmarked page. "116."

Martha frowned. "How does that one go again? I swear I've heard it before."

Jenny looked down, and cleared her throat. "Okay, here it is:

_Let me not to the marriage of true minds_  
><em>Admit impediments. Love is not love<em>  
><em>Which alters when it alteration finds,<em>  
><em>Or bends with the remover to remove:<em>  
><em>O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,<em>  
><em>That looks on tempests and is never shaken;<em>  
><em>It is the star to every wandering bark,<em>  
><em>Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.<em>  
><em>Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks<em>  
><em>Within his bending sickle's compass come;<em>  
><em>Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,<em>  
><em>But bears it out even to the edge of doom.<em>  
><em> If this be error and upon me proved,<em>  
><em> I never writ, nor no man ever loved.<em>

You know," Jenny murmured, closing the book as everyone went very quiet, "I think they were drawn to it because they must feel that their feelings are in some way forbidden. Despite what Dad told me about the Shadow Proclamation not even making an edit about inter-species relations. I think they were still hoping to make it go away until they read that."

Jack rubbed a hand over his chin, contemplating. "That particular sonnet has a _lot_ of various connotations. I wrote a paper on some of them in school."

Jenny held up a hand. "Keep your speculation to yourself, Mr. Pan-Sexual." He pouted, looking pathetically cute. She wasn't about to admit that she might've gone for him had she not _immediately_ realized that he had a massive thing for her father... Poor Dad would have a hearts attack...

"Jenny!" The feminine shout came from the other side of the closed library door, making everyone jump.

"Yes, Mum?" Jenny hoped that they could limit this conversation to between the rooms.

No such luck; Donna opened the door within seconds, frowning. "Better close up whatever you're doing, and don't bother finding beach wear. That overgrown kid we call your father has a new destination in mind. He's being awfully secretive about it, and I've got the feeling that this wasn't his first choice. The Old Girl's indicated that something's not quite right about it."

Jenny cleared her throat, grateful she'd had the chance to close the books and the folder before her Mum could poke her head in. And tried to not focus on the idea that the TARDIS had a bad feeling about it; that could freak her out if she let herself think about it. "Just give me one minute. Surely Dad can wait that long, if he actually waited for us to change for the last adventure."

Donna smirked – although Jenny could detect a flicker of suppressed unease behind her mother's eyes. "Oh, I'll threaten him with waiting longer than he did outside the Eddison estate if he whines." With a wink, she left – but didn't bother to close the door. A reminder to get moving.

Sarah Jane whispered, "That was close. Better re-convene later. Call us when you're done with this adventure."

"Yeah," Jenny murmured, distracted. If the Old Girl does have a bad feeling about this one, then I'd better stop by my room for my special stash of supplies. Who knows what we might need...?

* * *

><p>"Books! People never really stop loving books." The Doctor grabbed his coat, feeling very eager for any adventure to distract him from the thoughts that had plagued him for days. He trusted that his girls would follow him out – even if they were a bit miffed at him. Hope they don't pick up on my own confusion...<p>

Donna rolled her eyes at his back as he tossed his coat on. She made an effort to focus on his hair; it was easier to maintain her beliefs when she kept her gaze from drifting to more... dangerous observation points...

Jenny followed behind both, shaking her head ever so slightly. They are both idiots, she thought. Better do the paper "switch" soon – and let the Old Girl willingly take the blame. They've got only one more day before I lock them in the cupboard we've selected... "When are we?"

"51st century," the Doctor answered readily. I love being the teacher! "By now you've got holovids, direct to brain downloads, fiction mist, but you need the smell. The smell of books, Donna, Jenny. Deep breath."

His ladies – he might call them his girls, but Donna was training Jenny with considerable focus on demanding respect – obliged him even as they wanted to look askance at him. Although the number of books made Jenny's eyes widened as she took in the marvel of the huge book collection before them. "What is this? A reception room?" The enormous bookshelves and the buildings that apparently housed far more of them. Sure, the TARDIS library was huge, but the Old Girl kept most of it hidden to keep the room feeling _very_ cozy. Jenny figured that it was something left from when her father first got the ship. She'd seen images of him as he was, and it struck her how he'd _really_ looked like the old man that he said he was.

It also struck her as a good thing that his regenerations made him look younger. Makes for fewer questions, she thought, about him and Mum. Probably part of why they keep being mistaken for a couple...

The Doctor grinned, and silently led them through a door. Wait until they see this...

Jenny intended to keep quiet while her father babbled about The Library, although she knew she'd hear everything. She noticed that the awkwardness that had engulfed her parents faded considerably as soon as they walked out. Maybe, she prayed, this will actually be a good thing...

Except her jaw dropped almost as much as her mother's when they saw the buildings all around, and the random books on the rails. "The buildings look like book shelves," Jenny exclaimed in awe.

"The Library," the Doctor announced with pleasure. Watching his girls' amazement – well, any companion's amazement was special, but these two meant so much more to him already that it made theirs more important to treasure – brought a huge smile to his face. "So big it doesn't need a name. Just a great big 'the.'" He couldn't ever admit that Donna's was catching his eye _more_, though...

Donna marveled over the appearance of endless books. "It's like a city," she managed, guessing and suspecting that she was understating – again. Not that she could find it in her to care... He'd have to forgive this level of awe, wouldn't he?

Delighting in their reactions, the Doctor explained further: "It's a world. Literally a world. The whole core of the planet is the index computer, biggest hard drive ever. And up here, every book ever written. Whole continents of Jeffrey Archer, Bridget Jones, Monty Python's Big Red Book. Brand new editions, specially printed."

And just how, Donna wondered silently, do you know about Bridget Jones...? She filed that away for future teasing, whenever she had the nerve to do it again...

"We're near the equator," the Doctor continued, unaware of Donna's brief pensive look or Jenny's curious focus on them, "so..." H_e licked the finger always used for detection, then lifted it up to feel the what the wind could tell him._ "... this must be... Biographies!" The Doctor nearly shouted in excitement, making both women nearly jump out of their skins. "I love biographies!"

"Yeah, very you. Always a death at the end." She laughed as he shot her an offended glance. He's ridiculously cute when he's annoyed or pouting... In her amusement, she forgot to push the thought aside; his reactions were sometimes too comical.

Although he could neither remain irritated nor look her in the eye, he had to protest. To explain context. "You need a good death. Without death, there'd only be comedies. Dying gives us size."

"Right." I don't quite believe you, Spaceman. She was sure from the slightly stunned look she saw out of the corner of her eye that he heard the unspoken comment. Which was good; he needed to be kept on his toes.

Jenny had to laugh. It was the most relaxed she'd heard them around each other since before that morning after their 1920s adventure. This might be a good thing, she thought, this visit. She was admiring the architecture when she looked over in time to see her father snatch a book from her mother's hands – just after she'd picked it up. "Oi," he exclaimed, "spoilers!"

**"**What?" Donna protested loudly, offended that he had to ruin her fun. She was also trying to ignore that there had been a brief finger contact, which had startled her to her core. And triggered feelings she was trying to suppress...

Jenny wanted to snicker as both started at the contact. It was subtle – although it seemed they were trying to ignore it. Musn't rub hands together in glee, she reminded herself.

The Doctor's voice held considerable tension – even as he tried for lightness – when he awkwardly explained, **"**These books are from your future. You don't want to read ahead, spoil all the surprises. Like peeking at the end." His hand rubbed the back of his neck as his other one put down the book behind him.

It fell to the floor at his feet because he misjudged the distance. His gaze had slipped down a bit further than he wanted it to...

Even as the noise echoed loudly through the huge room, startling her parents, Jenny couldn't suppress a laugh. "What is with you two?" She hoped the exasperation covered the extent of her amusement, and turned away to give them a semblance of privacy. Not letting them see the tiny mirror she was concealing in her hand...

Donna recovered first; she had plenty of practice faking it to get through something. Though she would be having a serious talk with Jenny later! She turned a glare back on the annoyingly charming Spaceman. **"**Isn't traveling with you one big spoiler?"

The Doctor would've tossed a glare at his daughter if he could've torn his eyes away from Donna. She was a sight to behold when she was angry – which might explain why he sometimes _deliberately_ got her riled up. But this was a bit much; he'd never misjudged putting a book down before! "I... try to keep you away from major plot developments." He couldn't meet her gaze, and then – upon realizing where his own was straying – seized on the detail that he'd noticed from the start but ignored in his eagerness to delight his girls. "Which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at, cos you know what? This is the biggest Library in the universe. So where is everyone? It's silent." He walked over to an information terminal.

"The Library?" Donna followed him, although slowly. Perhaps a little physical distance was called for, she thought. Hope you're going to answer me, Spaceman...

"The planet," Jenny guessed, based on what she was sensing from her father. He's getting uneasy, she noted. Then she listened with her own telepathic abilities to the surroundings, and sucked in a breath. "The whole planet is quiet." This isn't good... It can't be!

On seeing the Doctor vaguely nodding, Donna felt her insides cringe. "Maybe it's a Sunday," Donna suggested with what she hoped was a casual shrug. But the intensity of his staring at the screen was making her shiver inside.

"No," he retorted, almost instinctively, "I never land on Sundays. Sundays are boring."

Jenny would have rolled her eyes, but she was getting vibes off her father that were setting off every look-out-for-trouble instinct she had. He doesn't realize how much he's giving off... or that hint of fear I'm detecting...

"Well... Maybe everyone's really, really quiet," Donna said quietly, trying to point out they were in fact in a library.

The Doctor shrugged distractedly. "Yeah, maybe. But they'd still show up on the system." He pointed a few things on the screen to Donna and Jenny, hoping they'd let him work a moment.

"Dad," Jenny said, moving to his other side so she and Donna surrounded him, "why are we here? Really, why?" She tried to meet his eyes, searching for any hint of an answer.

He avoided her gaze, and opened his mouth to buy himself some time. He forgot how determined his girls were, and had trouble thinking when Donna delicately placed a hand over his – making him have to suppress a tremble of longing.

"No prevaricating, Sunshine," Donna said. She'd decided to risk a touch that might – and did – force her to conceal her increased breathing to get his undivided attention. Seemed the only way to get a straight answer out of him right away. And let him know how much she'd seen earlier. "It was all, 'let's hit the beach and show Jenny more experiences.' Then you got this weird look on your face, pulled out that Physic Paper and suddenly we're in a Library. Why?" She crossed her arms, daring him to try to avoid the inevitable.

The Doctor's eyes widened. She saw that? I thought she was- Fortunately, the terminal beeped at him, giving him a momentary delay. And it confused him to no end. "Now, that's interesting," he muttered, more than a bit concerned.

Jenny exhaled sharply. "What?" She leaned in closer, hoping that her growl would make him get to the point so they could get an answer out of him.

He flinched, but went ahead with the results. "Scanning for life forms. If I do a scan looking for your basic humanoids - you know, your book readers, few limbs and a face. Apart from us, I get nothing. Zippo, nada, see? Nobody home. But if I widen the parameters to any kind of life..." He pushed a few keys, and watched as numbers flew across the screen – until 'Error' flashed across the screen. "A million million. Gives up after that. A million million."

"But there's nothing here," Donna protested, looking around. "There's no-one."

"And not a sound," the Doctor added, reflecting on that discovery. "A million million life forms, and silence in the Library."

"But there's no-one here," Donna whispered, suppressing the urge to shiver. "There are just books. I mean, it's not the books, is it? I mean, it can't be the books, can it? I mean, books can't be alive?" She looked to the Doctor for answers, knowing she couldn't keep the fear out of her voice.

The Doctor hadn't heard Donna babble like that in a long while, which tugged at his hearts. If I could only hug her without hurting her...

I wish they'd just comfort each other already! Jenny cautiously reached for a book. Just before her fingers could touch it, a voice echoed through the room, making all three of them jump in shock. "That came from in there," she exclaimed, pointing to the room they entered upon exiting the TARDIS.

"Yeah!" Donna's almost normal-level agreement prodded the trio to return.

To find a pole with a circular, two-sided object in the center of the room. What was most striking about the gray statue was the human-looking face – devoid of color or any hair not on the eyebrows or eyes – that seemed to be talking to them. "Dad," Jenny muttered, just loudly enough to be overheard, "what is that?"

"I am Courtesy Node 710/aqua," the statue answered – in a very robotic tone that yet held a hint of humanity in it – before the Doctor could. "Please enjoy the Library and respect the personal access codes of all your fellow readers regardless of species or hygiene taboo."

"That face," Donna whispered as she pointed in shock, "it looks real."

"Yeah," the Doctor admitted without actually saying anything, "don't worry about it." Even as he said it, he knew that it wouldn't sink in; Donna felt too much compassion to let that go.

"But a statue with a real face, though!" Donna couldn't take her eyes off it, couldn't stop thinking of the possible implications. "It's a hologram or something, isn't it?" She managed to look back up at the Doctor, desperate for reassurance.

All he could do was touch her shoulder in comfort. "No, but really, it's... fine." If only I didn't sound so uncertain...

Jenny didn't need to have telepathy to know that her mother wasn't _really_ comforted. At least, not by his words...

"Additional," the Node interrupted. "There follows a brief message from the head librarian for your urgent attention. It has been edited for tone and content by Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows. '_Run. For God's sake, run. No way is safe. The Library has sealed itself, we can't... Oh, they're here. Arg. Slarg. Snick._' Message ends. Please switch off your mobile communication units for the comfort of other readers."

We've found trouble again, the Doctor mentally sighed as he dropped his hand from Donna's shoulder. Is even _one_ peaceful adventure with my girls out of the question? "So that's why we're here... Any other messages, same date stamp?"

"One additional message. This message carries a Felman Lux coherency warning of 5, 0, 11..."

"Yeah, yeah, fine, fine, fine, just play it." I hate it, the Doctor thought, when computers babble...

"Message follows. '_Count the shadows. For God's sake, remember... if you want to live, count the shadows._' Message ends."

He sucked in a breath. Shadows... Danger in the shadows. "Jenny, Donna..." He grabbed them both by an arm, pulling them in tight. And keeping them away from potential danger.

"Yeah?" Only the naked fear in his voice stopped Donna from automatically protesting his actions. Oh, my God... What this time...?

"Stay out of the shadows." He intended it come out as a command, but it sounded more like a plea. Please don't let this be the time they ignore me...

"Why," Jenny demanded, her own frustration growing, "what's in the shadows?" Come on, Dad! Answer us!

He couldn't answer just yet. Instead he pulled them away from the larger area of shadows.

Jenny didn't let him get away with it for long – even if he was giving off signals of being very nervous about their safety. "So..." She pulled her arm away, and stopping right in front of him, glaring as she crossed her arms. "We weren't just in the neighborhood. What did the Paper show you?"

The Doctor sighed heavily. Jenny's blatantly irritated and Donna's hand looked ready to rear up for a slap. He pulled it out, and thought the message back into existence.

Donna's eyebrows bounced up as she read aloud, "'The Library. Come as soon as you can. X'" She looked askance at the outer-space dunce.

"What do you think? Cry for help?" He avoided their gazes. He didn't know what to make of the message when he got it, but he wasn't quite ready to admit to not knowing what was going on here. He was starting to think about getting out of here as quickly as possible. My girls are too important to risk.

"Cry for help - with a kiss?" Donna's retort was harsh. I don't like this one bit... I don't even like that I don't like it!

He tried shrugging it off. "Oh, we've all done that." Well, he silently added, not me. No one would believe it of me.

Jenny snapped, "Who's it from? Who has the right to leave messages for you with a kiss?" Except, she thought – forcing herself to keep the thought to herself, for Mum?

Vividly remembering Jenny's angry words in the kitchen only a week ago, the Doctor suppressed a massive flinching instinct. "No idea to the first, and no one to the second." He tried for a pinch of levity. "All I can tell you is that it's not Jack's style."

Donna, despite everything couldn't hold back a snort. "So why did we come here? Why did you..."

But he saw something that scared him. "Donna! Jenny!"

The three saw the lights from a distance go out, and the darkness started to grow, gaining on them. Jenny, stunned, whispered, "What's happening? How's that possible?"

"Run," her father screamed, grabbing their arms and pulling them off. It took them away from the TARDIS, but he couldn't risk going near. Much too dangerous, he instinctively knew. They were soon stopped by a door, which wouldn't open despite the Doctor's best grip. "Come on," he growled at it.

Donna's eyes whipped back and forth between the oncoming danger and their blocked escape. "What, is it locked?"

"Jammed!" His eyes always scanned quickly, and it wasn't looking good. "The wood's warped!" There has to be a way!

"Sonic it, then!" Jenny found herself longing for her Messaline gun for the first time since her eyes had been opened to her origins. She added her own strength to the pulling.

Oh, thanks, he thought, asking for the one thing it doesn't do! "I can't, it's wood!"

Oh, Donna's mind exclaimed, now you tell us! "What, it doesn't do wood?"

But he never gave up. Not even when things looked impossible. "Hang on, hang on, if I can vibrate the molecules, fry the bindings, I can shatterline the interface..."

Except Donna had enough of this. "Oh, get out of the way! Both of you!" She slammed her foot into the door, right next to the handle, and it burst open.

Jenny laughed as they rushed into the room. "Where did you learn that?"

Donna sighed as she helped them slam it shut, and use a book to block it. No telling what that was, she thought. "Oh, from time with some boyfriends who turned out to be worthless."

The Doctor felt his insides sink over the additional proof that was Donna was mistreated in the past. But before he could comment, he'd turned and spotted what appeared to be a floating sphere. "Oh! Hello!" He approached, hands in his pockets to make himself less threatening, and he felt his girls follow in curiosity. "Sorry to burst on you like this. OK if we stop here for a bit?

_He barely finished speaking when the sphere fell to the ground. Jenny stared at it, fascinated. "_What is it?"

"Security camera," the Doctor answered, a bit distracted by a new puzzle. "Switched itself off," he added as he picked it up to examine it. And suddenly saw words on its screen: '_Stop. Please stop it!_' "Ooh," he blurted, startled, "I'm sorry. I really am, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He gently placed it down. "It's alive," he explained on a whisper.

Donna moved in close. "You said it was a security camera."

"It is," he nodded, not taking his eyes off it. "It's an alive one." More words flashed on the screen. '_Others are coming._'

"Others? What's it mean, 'others'?" Donna tried to catch the Doctor's eyes, but he wouldn't look up. No answer, she realized. Brilliant... Sighing, she walked to the Node in the room. It had a different face than the one earlier. She filed that away to ask her question. "Excuse me, what does it mean, 'others'?

It got his attention. "That's barely more than a speak your weight machine, it can't help you." He stuck his hand in his pockets and walked over.

Jenny was on his heels. "And the faces?" Can't wait for this explanation...

"This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death," the Node said.

Donna gasped, stepping back. "It's a real face?"

"It has been actualized individually for you from the many facial aspects saved to our extensive flesh banks," the Node continued. "Please enjoy."

"It chose me a dead face it thought I'd like?" Donna pulled further back, unable to fathom this development. "That statue's got a real dead person's face on it..."

The Doctor rushed right up to her side. "It's the 51st century, that's... basically like donating a park bench." I wish I could help my companions understand things from beyond their time-frames, he thought frantically – wanting to erase the horror from her beautiful face.

"Think about who your audience is, Dad," Jenny snapped, feeling her temper fraying from the stress. "Now what's-?"

The retort had drawn his eyes away from Donna for a moment, but when he looked back his hearts nearly shot into his throat. "No, wait, no!"

Jenny whipped her head to see her father rush forward, grab Donna – around the waist! – and sharply pull her forward. It got her away from the dark shadow she nearly walked into, but it smashed their bodies together. She flinched, waiting for the fallout of that...

She watched as both gasped aloud and their eyes shut almost simultaneously. Her father's tight control over his own mental shields slipped, because Jenny sensed his shock and discomfort over the moment. I finally understand the meaning of the phrase, Get a room...

Although both recovered quickly, Donna found her voice first. "Oi! Hands!" She even slapped them away, needing the space.

It snapped him out of his own stupor, reminding him of why he'd grabbed her. "The shadow, look."

She turned, glaring at it. "What about it?"

"Count the shadows." He stressed, not trusting himself to speak more than a few words – yet.

"One," she answered, trying to keep her patience. "There, I counted it, one shadow."

But Jenny's sharp eyes had spotted what her father might be concerned about. "But what's casting it?"

The Doctor hadn't even noticed that point. "Oh!" He actually slapped himself on the face. "I'm thick! Look at me, I'm old and thick! Head's too full of stuff, I need a bigger head!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Donna got royally peeved that he seemed too distracted to answer.

Jennt turned and noticed that a light in the nearest corridor was blinking on and off. "Power must be going," she commented, trying to draw her father's attention back from his own inner mind.

He frowned at her. "This place runs on fission cells. They'll out burn the sun."

"Then why is it dark?" Donna could handle being angry, but being frightened? This was looking very bad, indeed. The only thing she could think of doing was get in the Doctor's face – despite the risks to her own mental state.

"It's not dark," the Doctor protested, a bit distracted – both by his brain trying to put the pieces together and by the way Donna was invading his personal space

Jenny sighed over their continued dance of denial, turned around and was instantly frightened. "Dad! The shadow's gone!"

The Doctor turned around and stared, stunned. How was that possible? A few things were trying to click in his head, but he couldn't see past how both of his girls were frightened beyond means. I have to keep them safe! "We need to get back to the TARDIS." He grabbed her hand and reached for Jenny's.

Jenny beat her mother to the verbal punch. "Why?"

He flinched at the demand in her voice. "Because that shadow hasn't gone. It's moved."

Before he could try again, the Node spoke again: "Reminder: the Library has been breached, others are coming. Reminder: the Library has been breached, others are coming. Reminder: the Library has been breached..."

_The Doctor opened his mouth to silence the Node, but one of the closed doors burst open and six people in spacesuits entered the room. The shock of seeing others in the silent Library rendered the trio __speechless._

_Until one of the newcomers walked straight to the Doctor, switching their visor to transparent. A blond female face smiled at the Doctor. "_Hello sweetie," she calmly said.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Donna and Jenny had the same thought, in the same shocked, angry tone: _Excuse me?_


	6. O Day Untowardly Turned!

CHAPTER SIX: O DAY UNTOWARDLY TURNED!

_From Chapter 5:_

__The Doctor opened his mouth to silence the Node, but one of the closed doors burst open and six people in spacesuits entered the room. The shock of seeing others in the silent Library rendered the trio speechless.__

__Until one of the newcomers walked straight to the Doctor, switching their visor to transparent. A blond female face smiled at the Doctor. "___Hello sweetie," she calmly said._

_Unbeknownst to either of them, Donna and Jenny had the same thought, in the same shocked, angry tone: **Excuse me?**_

The Doctor – on the other hand – had reached the end of his (admittedly limited) patience, and had no compunction about expressing it. The strange woman was only making him more tense. "Get out!"

Donna – despite her feelings – thought it was a weird time for her to consider manners, but she did. "Doctor," she said, trying to communicate caution as her free hand gently touched his arm.

But he wasn't listening, even though his skin tingled underneath the cloth between it and Donna's hand; his protective instincts were all flaring wildly, and these people had gotten in the way of their escape. He couldn't help but snap at them. "All of you, turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away! Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived, they won't believe you."

Ah, Doctor, River Song thought with a smile, always in a snit until you learn what's going on. Although why he was so snappish here, she wasn't sure. "Pop your helmets, everyone," she told the others. "We've got breathers."

The others did, and one, a pretty dark-skinned lady, asked, "How do you know they're not androids?"

The retort came easily. "Cos I've dated androids. They're rubbish."

"What are you," Jenny interjected, feeling her hackles rise rapidly as her eyes – having taken stock of each person who entered – fixed on the woman who was looking rather _too_ intensely at her Dad, "a female version of Jack Harkness?"

Before her parents could react, or the blond do more than look puzzled, the oldest man angrily demanded, "Who are they? You said we were the only expedition, I paid for exclusives."

River would've shrugged, but the spacesuit prevented it. "I lied, I'm always lying. Bound to be others."

The man nearly growled, but merely snapped at the third woman in the party, "Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts."

Turning to the Doctor, River inquired, "You came through the north door, yeah? How was that, much damage?"

The Doctor was getting impatient. "Please, just leave. I'm asking you seriously and properly, just lea..." Then the man's words kicked in. "Hang on. Did you say expedition?"

The man testily replied, "My expedition, I funded it."

A loud groan escaped the Doctor, and – if he hadn't had a hold on Donna and Jenny – he would have face-palmed himself. "Oh, you're not, are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists."

I think I remember hearing something about this, River thought, but who are these women he's so protective over...? All she said, with a continued smile, was, "Got a problem with archaeologists?"

The Doctor wanted to laugh at her, but Donna's influence kept him from doing more than snapping, "I'm a time traveler. I point and laugh at archaeologists."

River wanted to laugh, but suppressed it. He must have a reason for acting like this, and the women must be from a painful time in his life that he just doesn't talk about... "Ah. Professor River Song, archaeologist," she said, more for the benefit of his companions.

"River Song," he mused, off-handed, "lovely name. As you're leaving, and you're leaving now... you need to set up a quarantine beacon. Code-wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again... not one living thing, not here, not ever."

Jenny was watching the people around Professor Song, and noticed that one was walking toward the shadows. "Stop! What's your name?"

The lovely dark-skinned woman answered, tentatively, "Anita."

The Doctor took over, silently thanking Jenny for paying attention. "Anita, stay out of the shadows. Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship. Goes for all of you. Stay in the light. Find a nice, bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very, very scared."

No one managed to look scared enough to Jenny's eyes. River's smiling reaction, though? Her hands itched to move against that woman's cheeks. "Come on, a bit more scared than that!"

The woman who was called Miss Evanglista started to look a bit scared, which made the Doctor sigh reluctantly. "OK, do for now. You," he called to one man, "who are you?"

"Uh," the man stammered, "Dave."

The Doctor sighed. This was going to be headache-inducing. "OK, Dave..."

"Oh," he started, trying to explain, "well Other Dave, because that's Proper Dave the pilot, he was the first Dave, so when we..."

Except the Doctor was in no mood for anything that caused delays. People could explain while they were doing. "Other Dave," he interrupted, pulling him back toward their entrance – despite not wanting to lose physical contact with his girls, "the way you came, does it look the same as before?"

Other Dave looked confused. "Yeah." Then he started looking nervous. "Oh, it's a bit darker."

Please, Rassilon, the Doctor prayed, don't let us be surrounded by idiots this time. "How much darker?"

"Oh, like I could see where we came through just like a moment ago. I can't now." With those words, Anita and the man who was apparently Proper Dave both looked really uneasy. Miss Evangelista seemed unclear about what was happening, and the other man remained fuming. River continued with her odd smile.

The Doctor sighed. Great, he thought, now I have this whole lot to protect as well... "Seal up this door," he ordered, walking back toward the rest. "We'll find another way out."

"We're not looking for a way out," snapped the man who apparently funded the group. "Miss Evangelista?"

The young woman who looked the most scared, who made Jenny and Donna want to protect her just because of the look in her eyes, walked up – a bit timidly. "I'm Mr. Lux's personal... everything. You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experience inside the Library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."

I hate people who insist on secrecy as much as villains, the Doctor thought. "Right," he all but growled, reaching his hand out and hoping Donna and Jenny could read his tone, "give it here."

For the first time since just before danger appeared, Donna and Jenny found genuine smirks. "Yeah, lovely," Donna said for her and Jenny as they took the contracts. "Thanks." And as one, the trio tore the contracts to shreds.

Mr. Lux was ready to have an ulcer. "My family built this Library," he nearly shouted. "I have rights."

River needed to get things moving. "You have a mouth that won't stop."

Jenny instantly snorted. "Pot, meet Kettle." Before anyone – including River – could do anything except stare in surprise at her, she snapped, voice dripping with all the sarcasm she'd learned from both of her parents,_ "_Something came to this Library and killed everything in it, killed a whole world. There are shadows that move here – after 100 years of silence. You gonna bet your life?"

River looked back at the Doctor with a smile. "Always."

Jenny stepped in-between them and snapped her fingers in front of River's face. "Eyes on me, Slapper!"

River recoiled slightly. Who is she?

The Doctor wondered what was triggering Jenny to react in such a negative way. Donna, however, was more concerned by how sick the looks Professor Song was giving the Doctor made her feel... and how much she wanted to slap the woman!

Mr. Lux had turned and noticed Other Dave following the Doctor's instructions. He blurted, shocked, "What are you doing?"

Other Dave, himself stunned, would have shrugged if the suit allowed it. "He said seal the door." His tone said how it seemed like the smart thing to do.

Finally, the Doctor thought in relief, someone who can follow orders! "Torch!" He didn't bother to wait. He just grabbed the one from Mr. Lux, not caring if he pissed the man off further.

Mr. Lux sputtered, "You're taking orders from him?

"Spooky, isn't it?" The Doctor, now knowing what Donna had meant when she'd described someone landing on someone else's 'shit list' – a phrase she'd apparently learned from a childhood friend who was an exchange student in the United States – and realizing that he'd always had one even if he'd never put a name to it, walked to the other side of the room to use the torch to help with detection. "Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark," he commented, mostly to Jenny who followed a bit behind him. "But they're wrong. Cos it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."

Jenny instantly asked, "What's Vashta Nerada?" And why are you speaking like its some collective thing?

He sighed heavily. "It's what's in the dark. It's what's always in the dark." Walking back, his mind worked quickly to figure out the next step. "Lights! That's what we need, lights. You got lights?"

"What for?" River had never heard of the Vashta Nerada, and wondered why they had him so nervous.

He didn't bother to answer the clearly unspoken question; something about the way she was looking at him gave him the creeps. "Form a circle," he ordered, not caring who anyone thought he was talking to, "safe area, big as you can, lights pointing out."

"Oi!" Always giving orders, River thought, and not realizing that some won't always follow. "Do as he says." At least I can help make things happen.

Mr. Lux snapped, "You're not listening to this man?"

"Apparently, I am." I always have, River thought, but whether I follow is another matter. "Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mr. Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an active terminal. I want you to access the Library database, see what you can find about what happened here a hundred years ago. Pretty Boy," she called to the Doctor as she walked to another terminal, "you're with me. Step into my office."

Jenny saw red over the obvious nickname. She leaned quickly into Donna, whispering, "Keep him near you. Whatever it takes!"

Donna had leaned forward against a console, needing the support to handle the sudden wave of... something... that overwhelmed her over the nickname. Oh, bloody hell... I wouldn't be feeling this way if I'd been imagining things that day I overheard... And in that moment, all of Donna's pretense that she _didn't_ return the Doctor's feelings shattered completely...

Mr. Lux, although he followed the helmet part, demanded, "Professor Song, why am I the only one wearing my helmet?"

River's answer was pure cheekiness. "I don't fancy you."

Yeah, Donna thought testily, I can tell who you do... So who are you? It was clear that the Doctor didn't know who she was, which – if she hadn't been leaning against a terminal – would've brought Donna to her knees in relief. Spaceman's panicked when he thought I'd step into that shadow, she remembered. I guess Jack and Sarah Jane were right about one thing: his feelings run deeper than friendship...

The thought made her shiver. Oh, but what do I do...? Is he even ready for someone he travels with to want him...?

Focused on the setting up, the Doctor didn't notice Jenny walking over to River. Although he did see Donna leaning, as if a bit tired. I'll help her as soon as we're all set. "Probably I can help you," he said to Proper Dave, walking to meet him.

Glancing up, River saw that the blonde girl was approaching. She frowned. "Pretty Boy, with me I said."

His head whipped to stare wide-eyed at Professor Song. What? He blinked as the words sunk in, making him cringe from what was starting to look like more unwanted attention. "Oh," the Doctor muttered in disbelief once he realized that he had heard those words, "I'm Pretty Boy?" That sounds weird...

Donna couldn't suppress a smile over his obvious confusion, and it grew as his disgust became clear. Oblivious alien... Thank God he's not impressed with her! Unfortunately for the calm she was recovering, her emotions were so turbulent that she couldn't quite hold her tongue. "Yes," she whispered, "although it's an major understatement." Then she flinched, looking down quickly as she realized what she'd said. "Ooh, that came out a bit quick!" Blimey, you and your big mouth messed everything up! Again!

The Doctor nearly got whiplash from his eyes needing to see Donna's face. His breath caught in his throat, nearly activating his respiratory bypass. By Rassilon, does that mean...? Despite the danger, he couldn't help but reach for her, grabbing her attention. "Does that," he asked in a very low voice, "mean that you longer see me as a skinny streak of nothing?" Even though he was no closer to feeling worthy of her than he was before he'd read that damned sonnet, he suddenly _craved_ confirmation – from her own lips – that she, despite the declaration all those months ago about "not having any of that nonsense," now found him desirable.

Donna blushed profusely. And couldn't find her voice. Oh, God, she thought, give me patience!

"Don't let your shadows cross!" Jenny snapped instructions, basing them off everything that she'd sensed from her father when he was scanning with the torch. "I mean it, don't even _let_ them touch. Any of them could be infected."

The Doctor, although he couldn't let Donna's arm go, was stunned to realize that he was giving off more signals, more information than he'd thought possible. Haven't had to shield myself against another Gallifreyan in too long, he slowly realized – as his brain felt addled by seeing Donna's eyes practically sing of intense, romantic feelings. For me!

And that scared him...

Other Dave looked at Jenny askance. "How can a shadow be infected?"

I don't know, Jenny thought impatiently, but I won't be the one who opens that can of worms; Dad will.

Donna couldn't pull her eyes away from her Spaceman's; they spoke to her of feelings that ran so deep that even _he_ couldn't see bottom. No wonder he's afraid to act on them... He's probably never felt this way before...

"Excuse me," Miss Evangelista asked, being the only one not doing anything, "can I help?"

"No," Anita answered, rather fast, "we're fine."

Donna, overhearing, somehow found the strength to pull away to try to talk them into giving the poor girl a task. I need a distraction to get my bearings again... I need to get them again; I don't know if I've got what it takes to handle this! There's so much he doesn't know about me...

The Doctor felt the loss of touch contact keenly, and couldn't stop himself from following. Donna's as scared of this as I am, he realized with a start. It made his chest feel millions of tonnes heavier to realize that the woman who'd completely captured his hearts thought so little of herself, her worth. Thank Rassilon she has no idea how many trucks of baggage I'm carrying; she might run away if she did... and I wouldn't blame her...

Across the room, River looked up again when she sensed that the blonde was still approaching – rather measured steps, she noted – and opened her mouth to call for the Doctor again. But she saw the look he was giving the ginger he was following – on both counts like an adoring puppy, and it chilled her to her bones. He never, in all the adventures together, looked at me with that much emotion... For all the wibbly-wobbly, timey-whimey nature of her relationship with the Doctor as _she_ knew him, River Song had never imagined that she would actually see _proof_ that she was _never_ the most important woman ever to him... At least, not in his more recent years...

Jenny stopped a few feet from River, and had to keep her hands by her hips. "Who are you?"

The loudness interrupted everything else in the room, especially River's own musings. Mind you, she found herself a bit grateful for the disruption. "I introduced myself. I know you are a companion to the Doctor, but I don't know your name."

Deliberately speaking loudly, Jenny thought on her feet. "I'm the Soldier. I'm the Doctor's eyes and ears for averting war." I don't want her to know my real name... She motioned with her head. "And that's the Manager. She puts together the little details that solve our problems, and keeps him and myself out of trouble."

These heightened emotions have to be why I'm grinning over that, Donna thought. But I kinda like my Time-Lady name...

She didn't know that the Doctor thought it very fitting. Although, he wondered, what drove Jenny to pull a Me and make a cover story up on the spot...?

"If you're looking for help," Jenny continued, sharply, "I'm it." She glared and folded her arms, daring the strange woman to challenge her.

Miss Evangelista tried again, not liking the tension and just needing something to do. "I could just... you know, hold things."

"No," Other Dave insisted, "really, we're OK."

Donna stepped nearby. "Couldn't she help?"

Other Dave shook his head. "Trust me. I just spent four days on a ship with that woman. She's..."

Anita smiled indulgently. "Couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod and the bathroom. We had to go back for her. Twice."

Neither Donna nor the Doctor liked hearing someone being mistreated. Even if they weren't the brightest light in the room.

Sighing and needing a distraction, River knelt and pulled things out of her bag. Including her journal.

Jenny's eyes widened when she saw a book shaped like the TARDIS in Professor Song's hands. "What the hell is that?"

River sighed again. "You find out soon enough, I suppose. But I need to speak with the Doctor."

"I'll be the judge of that," Jenny retorted. She wanted this one to cross over to her father. "You really think any of us are eager to talk with you? Whatever you have to say to him, you'd better be willing to say it out loud. You act like you know him, but I've never heard of you. And I've read through all his information on his time-travel adventures."

River's eyes widened. He never made that offer to me! Still, she cleared her throat. "Don't you think that he should make the choice?"

The Doctor sighed loudly. My little girl needs to cool off. "At ease, Soldier," he called out, giving Jenny a warning while communicating his acceptance of her cover story. "I'm coming over. You be quiet until then." I don't need her adding to my problems right now...

Jenny squawked in protest, thoroughly offended. But she heard the business voice that said, Don't challenge me; we're in a time crunch. So she crossed her arms more tightly, containing herself until he came over. I can't believe you, Dad!

River felt a bit of relief, but it didn't last long given how the Doctor clearly didn't like leaving the Manager's side. So who is this woman who so completely holds his attention...?

Donna felt her chest clench over the thought of him near this stranger. And, she thought desperately, I don't want her touching you – ever! She risked looking up into his eyes, touching his left arm tenderly. "I don't trust this Professor," she whispered ever so quietly.

Oh, Donna... The Doctor felt his hearts shatter a bit over the blatant insecurities in her eyes, and finally understood what humans meant when they talked of their insides turning into jelly. He managed a tiny smile, just for her. Leaning in, he whispered into her ear as he reached for her free hand, "Neither do I. Come with me?" I wish I knew how to help you let go without risking ruining everything we've built... But keeping you right at my side is the only thing I can think of to soothe your fears...

This might be a mistake... But Donna couldn't _not_ go with him; her heart rebelled so violently at the idea of letting him face the professor on his own, and she vaguely worried about Jenny's tense demeanor toward the woman. So she steeled herself for another difficult moment and nodded, taking his hand with a gentle squeeze and letting him lead her away - toward the woman who'd destroyed her equilibrium completely with a few words and some looks...

That she agreed without an argument made him infinitely relieved. He'd planned to deal with the conflicting emotions of excitement and nervousness later. But that tiny squeeze did _delightful_ things to his hearts...

One thing became clear to Donna as they approached River and Jenny. Regardless of what might happen, she thought with growing conviction, whoever this woman thinks she is to him, right now he's _my_ Spaceman...! And I'm going to stay right at his side to make sure that she keeps her mitts off of him! I might not be able to give him what he needs, but I just know she'd be horrible for him!

Although feeling him tremble over her squeezing his hand drew a tiny grin from her. Score one for Earthgirl, a part of her silently crowed.

River felt her chest collapsing as she watched the Doctor keep the Manager's hand in his, practically proclaiming silently that this woman was his. He was never that possessive with me... Hand-holding? We only ever linked arms! He's more emotionally intimate with her than he ever was with me...

When the Doctor and Donna came right up to Jenny, he stopped them, keeping his other hand free to grab Jenny if need be. "Whatever you have to say to me, Professor," he declared quietly, "you can say in front of my ladies here – or not at all." Well, girls was the word he'd typically use, but he knew better than to provoke them; Jenny was already too angry, and he didn't want Donna mad at him.

"Huh," River muttered with a forced lightness, "life with a time traveler, never knew it could be such hard work." She sighed. "I first wanted to say thanks."

"For what?" Jenny didn't care how harsh her voice was, or how far it traveled.

The Doctor decided he wouldn't bother trying to convince Jenny to calm. _Yet_. He hoped that Donna could help with that, and that maybe her own budding awareness of her own feelings would be calmed by his continued hand-holding.

Not sure how much I should tell the young woman, River thought as she assessed the stance and manners. Or the ginger. "The usual," she settled on. They're clearly people he trusts implicitly. "For coming when I call."

Jenny's eyes turned colder than the Ood planet."So that was you that sent the message bringing us to this dangerous place?" Mum and Dad are gonna have to keep me from killing her...

Donna groaned. "We were gonna be at a beach until that bloody message came through!" Though I would've had to wear a one-piece. Not sure I want him seeing _too much_ of my body... Just like if he knew how damaged I am, he might lose interest if he saw how imperfect my body is...

If she had any telepathic ability, she would've blushed over the Doctor's sudden memory of how he'd half hoped for the visual stimulation of seeing her in a bikini... Never mind his secret fantasy of putting sunscreen all over her...

And he was blushing wildly, having to clamp down on his reactions. Not the place or time, he silently shouted at his body. Not now!

And fiercely protective of him, River also noted – even as she spotted the blush that spread over the Doctor's face. I suppose, she decided with a grim determination, I'll like them once they relax around me. She refused to think about what she'd do if they didn't. "Listen," she said to the women, "I do know the Doctor – although he's doing a very good job, acting like he doesn't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason, including for why you don't know who I am. Or my not knowing who either of you are."

"A fairly good one, actually," the Doctor retorted, wondering what the woman thought he would see in her. Although he kept silent, wondering what the woman would claim.

River chose to ignore that comment. Got to push things along... "OK, shall we do diaries, then? Where are we this time? Uh, going by your face, I'd say it's early days for you."

The Doctor, sensing the tension radiating from both of his girls, had to interrupt. "Hang on, are you saying you're from my future and our time-lines are running in opposite directions?"

Jenny nearly scowled. "That happens?" God, the very idea gives me a headache! Especially with her involved!

He just managed a shrug, and glanced at Jenny. "One-offs, sometimes two-offs," he explained. I'll tell them about Sally Sparrow later... To the mystery woman, he said, "And you're acting like this has happened for some time, but I... don't know who you are."

"Blimey," River thought out loud as her mind took a desperate turn, "_very_ early days, then." She looked harder at his face, and her eyes widened. "Look at you! You're young," she whispered.

Donna, for all the tension she felt in her chest, couldn't help but laugh at the non-sequitor. "He's really not, you know." And you must not know much about him to say that!

"Nah," River admitted, "but he is." She stared so hard at his face that – unbeknownst to her – Donna's right hand was _itching_ to move. "Your eyes," she noticed as she found herself unable to speak for a moment. "You're younger than I've ever seen you... Doctor," she suddenly pleaded in a begging whisper, "please tell me you know who I am?"

Jenny actually laughed over the discomfort. "You mean you didn't notice he was _completely_ serious when he wondered who you are? You're a very dull fool."

Her snipping, and River's indignant response, were interrupted by the weirdest alarm anyone ever heard. "Sorry," Proper Dave called out, "that was me. Trying to get through into the security protocols, I seem to have set something off. What is that? Is that an alarm?"

Donna was the first to connect the dots made by the noise. "Doctor? Doctor, that sounds like..."

I've been on Earth long enough to recognize it! "It is. It's a phone!"

"I'm trying to call up the data core," Proper Dave continued as the Doctor hurried up from behind, all but dragging Donna with him, "but it's not responding. Just that noise."

"But it's a phone!" Jenny was right behind them. She and her mother unconsciously shielded the Doctor from the others.

"Let me try something." The Doctor put his glasses on, noting 'ACCESS DENIED' written all over the screen. "OK, doesn't like that, let's try something else." He fiddled with the controls for a moment, and it seemed to respond. "OK," he announced triumphantly, "here it comes."

Donna couldn't help but pat his back in congratulations. I need the contact, she realized. I shouldn't depend on it, but I feel like I'll go crazy if I don't have it...

A young girl appeared on the screen, interrupting any discussion – and calmed the jumbled thoughts the Doctor started having at the feel of Donna's hand. He greeted the image: "Hello?"

"Hello." The girl, maybe about ten years old, was polite, but very nervous – with a very recognizable curoisity in her eyes. "Are you in my television?"

What? The Doctor turned his head to exchange very confused looks with his girls. What does she mean? "Well, no, I'm, I'm... sort of in space. I, I was trying to call up the data core of a triple-grid security processor."

She frowned, as if confused by his words. "Would you like to speak to my dad?"

An adult! "Dad or your mum, that'd be lovely." Maybe they could explain things to me!

Her eyes suddenly widened. "I know you! You were in my Library."

"_Your_ Library?" The Doctor glanced at Jenny and then Donna. Each of them were silently asking the same question that he was: How was this _her_ library?

"The Library's never been on the television before," the girl continued, confusion sounding greater. "What have you done?"

"Ah, I..." How in Rassilon's name do I explain this to what looks like a little girl? "I just rerouted the interface..." Then the connection broke and the girl disappeared.

"What happened, who was that?" River had finally found her voice again, although it was a lot rougher with emotion than she liked.

The Doctor ignored her, but nothing he did let him get through. He forced his way back to what had been River's 'office,' glad that the woman had stepped away for a better view of the girl. Only a need to rush distracted him from the need to keep Donna with him. "I need another terminal," he hollered, not liking this newest development. "Keep working on those lights, we need those lights!"

"You heard him, people, let there be light." River started giving orders, controlling her voice carefully. It was a good fall-back method whenever things went badly. But then books started to fly off the Library shelves.

"What's that? I didn't do that, did you do that?" The Doctor looked at Proper Dave.

"Not me," Proper Dave replied, as freaked out as anyone.

Jenny went right next to her father, and saw something on the screen that confused her. "What's CAL?" Suddenly the books stopped flying, startling everyone.

Needing something to distract her from a storm of churning emotions, Donna walked over to Miss Evangelista. "You're all right?" She placed a calming hand on the scared girl's shoulder.

"What's that? What's happening?" Poor dear is clearly stressed out, Donna thought sadly.

"I don't know," Mr. Lux hollered at her.

Donna gave him her best glare, and he backed down immediately. Still got it even when scared, she noted with grim pleasure. Then she smiled at Miss Evangelista. "Oh, thanks for... you know... offering to help with the lights."

The girl sniffled. "They don't want me," she whispered. "They think I'm stupid, cos I'm pretty."

Donna vividly remembered complaints her mother had described about her own youth, which she hadn't given enough credit to until she was older – and had... bloomed. "Course they don't, nobody thinks that," she reassured her.

A little shake of the head. "No, they're right though. I'm a moron, me. My dad said I have the IQ of plankton, and I was pleased."

Donna found a chuckle. The image was insane! "See, that's funny."

Miss Evangelista was puzzled. "No... no, I, I really was pleased. Is that funny?"

Oh, God... "No, no." She patted Miss. Evangelista's shoulder. But anything else was halted; moments later, books once again flew off of the wall. She helped the girl duck.

River slouched to dodge them, shouting, "What's causing that? Is it the little girl?"

"But who is the little girl?" The Doctor ran a hand through his hair – unconsciously – and eyed his girls for their safety – equally unconsciously. "What's she got to do with this place?" He ran through his thoughts out loud. "How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's CAL?"

"Ask Mr. Lux," River Song suggested tightly standing upright as the books stopped once again.

The Doctor stormed over to Mr. Lux. "CAL," he demanded, grabbing the man's shoulders, "what is it?"

"Sorry," he tightly answered, slowly pushing off the hands. "You didn't sign your personal experience contracts."

Oh, what is it, the Doctor wondered in grim exasperation for what felt like the trillionth time, about me that makes people not listen? "Mr. Lux, right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?"

You wouldn't understand, Mr. Lux thought desperately. "I'm protecting my family's pride."

"Well, funny thing, Mr. Lux," the Doctor growled, not sure when he last felt so much irritation that Donna's method of redirecting focus seemed _entirely_ reasonable, "I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important."

Donna and Jenny chuckled quietly, sharing an amused look. They'd never thought anyone would get to him like Mr. Lux was.

River sighed. "Then why don't you sign his contract?" She paused, and just got three glares in response. She grimly smiled. "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you."

Oh, I'm through with dealing with her and her... stories. "Okay, okay, okay," he said, redirecting the whole discussion. "Let's start at the beginning. What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"

Suddenly, a door slid open. Only Jenny and Miss Evangelista noticed. Everyone else was focused on the tense interaction in the middle of the room.

River picked up the story.** "**There was a message from the Library. Just one. 'The lights are going out.' Then the computer sealed the planet, and there was nothing for a hundred years." I've never been able to resist a mystery, she knew.

Mr. Lux decided that this could be admitted to; things weren't going well, after all. "It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back in."

Miss Evangelista timidly spoke up. "Um... excuse me..."

"Not just now," Mr. Lux snapped.

River continued, "There was one other thing in the last message..."

Mr. Lux glared at her. "That's confidential."

She returned the glare. "I trust this man. With my life, with everything." Even if he's with someone else right now...

Mr. Lux's eyes boggled. "You've only just met him!"

"No," River said, tightly controlling her tone and volume given how turbulent her feelings were, "he's only just met me."

"Um." Miss Evangelista tried again. "This might be important actually..."

Mr. Lux snapped again. "In a moment!"

Yeah, Jenny thought, I don't like you, either. Pick on someone your own level! Seeing Miss Evangelista walking out of the room, Jenny pulled a flashlight out and quickly followed. Not realizing that she was so quiet that her parents didn't realize what was happening. "So," she whispered, catching the other woman's attention, "where does Professor Song fit into this?"

River pulled out a PDA. "This is a data extract that came with the message," she said, handing it to the Doctor.

He read the message aloud: "'4022 saved. No survivors.'" What?

River nodded. "4022, that's the exact number of people who were in the Library when the planet was sealed."

Jenny's flashlight followed Miss Evangelista as they walked through a shadowy corridor. Please let those shadows be benign... She continued following into a lecture room, and got an equally quiet answer: "Mr. Lux needed someone to lead, someone who commanded people easily, or it couldn't happen. The Professor loves adventure, I guess."

Donna voiced the obvious question, which she knew the Doctor was thinking. "But how can 4022 people have been saved if there were no survivors?"

River forced herself to meet Donna's gaze. "That's what we're here to find out."

In the other room, Jenny's eyes drifted downward, and realized that Miss Evangelista was in grave danger...

"And so far," Mr. Lux pointed out, "what we haven't found are any bodies."

Suddenly, a feminine scream erupted from the other room.


	7. Eat Her Heart in the Marketplace!

**Author's Note:** The darkness before the dawn begins here. And then it continues for a few chapters... Fair warning...

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SEVEN: EAT HER HEART IN THE MARKETPLACE!<strong>

_From Chapter 6:_

_In the other room, Jenny's eyes drifted downward, and realized that Miss Evangelista was in grave danger..._

"_And so far," Mr. Lux pointed out, "what we haven't found are any bodies."_

_Suddenly, a feminine scream erupted from the other room_.

All six people in that first room jumped in their skins, and then rushed into the other room, finding Jenny standing absolutely still – except for shaking like a building in a massive quake. Her flashlight pointed at her feet, her jaw was slack, and her wide eyes were fixed on a skeleton in a spacesuit.

The Doctor's heartbeats went erratic as he realized that Jenny could've been in dire danger. "Everybody, careful! Stay in the light."

Donna came right to Jenny's side, putting her arms around her. "Sweetheart?"

Proper Dave stared at him. "You keep saying that. I don't see the point!"

The Doctor ignored that, touching Jenny's shoulder and feeling the incoherent horror blasting out of her mind. Her lack of an answer to her mother's whisper sent shivers to the inside of his bones. "Who screamed?"

"Miss Evangelista," Proper Dave answered, looking for her.

The Doctor looked around, baffled. "Where is she?" He, and the others, looked to Jenny for answers.

But the Time-Lady remained silent. Kept shaking. Her mouth moved, but only her respiratory bypass kept her awake.

River titled her head down, and spoke into a communicator at her neck. "Miss Evangelista, please state your current..." Then they heard her own voice echo... from the direction of the skeleton. River tried again, moving. "Please state your current..." She stopped as the horrifying truth sunk in, whispering the last word... "...position." She reached over, pulling out a piece of the spacesuit's collar from behind – revealing that the green lights of the communicator were still on. "It's her," she whispered. "It's Miss Evangelista."

Anita's eyes widened. "We heard her scream a few seconds ago. What could do that to a person in a few seconds?"

The Doctor's voice was as grim as his thoughts. "It took a lot less than a few seconds." And am I a bad person to be so grateful that my Jenny's still alive...?

Anita's eyes whipped to him. "What did?"

_"Hello?"_ The voice was Miss Evangelista, but it was coming from the skeleton's communicator. Jenny's shivering became stronger, drawing Donna to hold her tightly – partly out of maternal love and partly out of the need to hold someone as a barrier against fear.

River flinched, heart clenching a bit more. "Um, I'm sorry everyone, um, this isn't going to be pleasant. She's ghosting."

"She's what?" Donna thought she couldn't have heard that correctly.

_"Hello, excuse me? I - I'm sorry, hello? Excuse me?_" The voice was terrified, uncertain, needing a verbal hand to hold.

Donna's hands trembled, even as she tightened her hold, feeling Jenny turn into the embrace – but still staring at the skeleton. "That's... That's her, that's Miss Evangelista!"

"It was awful," Jenny whispered, finally able to speak. How could _anything_ do that...?

It drew her father into pulling them both into his arms. Oh, Rassilon, she saw it happen...

Other Dave shuffled in place, uneasy. "I don't want to sound horrible, but couldn't we just... you know?"

"This is her last moment," River snapped, "no, we can't. A little respect, thank you."

_"Sorry, where am I? Excuse me?_" The terror was growing in the voice.

Donna shuddered. "But that's Miss Evangelista."

River sighed. "It's a data ghost, she'll be gone in a moment." She spoke again into her communicator. "Miss Evangelista, you're fine, just relax. We'll be with you presently."

"What's a data ghost?" I'm not sure, Donna thought, that I want to know...

The Doctor spoke softly, trying to comfort both of them. "There's a neural relay in the communicator, lets you send thought mails. That's it there, those green lights. Sometimes it can hold an impression of a living consciousness for a short time after death. Like an after image."

"My grandfather lasted a day," Anita commented, with a sad smile. "Kept talking about his shoelaces."

Donna shook her head. "She's in there!" Can't you see that?

The voice continued,_ "__I can't see, I can't... Where am I?"_

Proper Dave tried to explain gently. "She's just brain waves now. The pattern won't hold for long."

Donna shook her head again. "She's conscious! She's thinking."

_"I can't see, I can't... I don't know what I'm thinking."_

Sometimes, the Doctor thought, I really hate knowing so much about the universe... "She's a footprint on the beach. And the tide's coming in."

_"Where's that woman? The nice woman... is she there?"_

Mr. Lux asked, "What woman?"

"She means..." Donna whispered aloud, "I think, she means me."

_"Is she there? The nice woman?"_

"Yeah, she's here, hang on." River looked up to the woman who'd shaken her own world completely. The only one who might be able to help what was left of Miss Evangelista. "Go ahead. She can hear you."

_"Hello? Are you there?"_

Donna shook her head in horror, her breath quickening.

The Doctor leaned in, and whispered, "Help her."

"She's dead," she whispered back. I'd be talking to a ghost...

He nodded against her ear. "Yeah," he admitted, but pushed her gently with a tiny plea in his voice. "Help her. I know you can do anything you set your mind to."

_"Hello? Is that the nice woman?"_

His words managed to push her into remembering her need to help others. Donna drew upon all her courage to find her voice. "Yeah. Hello. Yeah, I'm, I'm... I'm here. You OK?"

_"What I said before, about being stupid."_ This time, a hint of desperation was present. _"Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."_

Donna nodded, unconsciously. "Course I won't. Course I won't tell them."

_"Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh..."_

Donna frowned over her horror. "I won't tell them. I said I won't."

_"Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."_

What's happening...? "I'm not going to tell them," Donna repeated.

The lights blinked, fading as the number of lights cut down._ "__Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."_

_"_She's looping now," River explained. "The pattern's degrading."

_"I can't think, I...don't know, I... I... I... Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream."_ The last two word kept repeating, which made Donna and Jenny drew closer together.

River sighed sadly. "Does anybody mind if I...?" No one spoke, so she stepped up and turned off the relay.

Donna's voice trembled as much as her body was. Tears started flowing. "That was... that was horrible. That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen."

The Doctor held them even more tightly, not even thinking as he pressed a kiss into first Jenny's, then Donna's hair.

Which they each vaguely felt. Although Jenny wasn't sure it happened, whereas Donna found it oddly comforting.

"No," River responded – having not noticed the Doctor's actions. It was difficult to explain, but it had to be. "It's just a freak of technology. But whatever did this to her, whatever killed her... I'd like a word with that." Mum and Dad taught me that. Mum would've been a force to be reckoned with against this thing.

The Doctor felt himself go even more grim. "I'll introduce you," he said. He pulled Donna and Jenny with him as he rushed back to the other room. He was aware of the others following him. "I'm gonna need a packed lunch," he announced.

"Hang on." River crouched down to her bag, searching for the food she knew she'd packed.

The Doctor let go of his girls. Someone's died, so I need answers and I need them now! He knelt beside her. When she pulled her TARDIS book back out, he demanded, "What's in that book?"

"Spoilers," River quickly answered. Can't tell him anything now...

"Who _are_ you?" Oh, don't you think you're getting away with this...

She sighed, and rattled off her standard introduction. "Professor River Song, University of..."

"To me," he demanded, sharply. "Who are you to me? And how come you don't know who my companions are?"

I'm going to assume there's a reason, River thought with a sigh. "Again... spoilers." Although something was starting to nag her about both women. She handed a lunch box to him. "Chicken, and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."

As he gave her a long, hard look, Jenny started coming out of her stupor. In her mother's arms, she tried pushing the image of Miss Evangelista's body melting right in front of her out of her mind. Seeing her father talking with Professor Song, however, triggered her suppressed anger. Are you saying that _I'm_ not going to live? Or _Mum_? Oh, I don't think so...

The Doctor stood, and forced a lighter tone. "Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada!" He flipped the flashlight and caught it.

Quit showing off, Sunshine, Donna thought idly. Although if things hadn't been so serious, and seeing him approach the Professor hadn't made her cringe, she would've cracked an indulgent smile over her Martian's antics.

* * *

><p>A few minutes passed as the Doctor scanned the floor with the Sonic. Checking each shadow.<p>

River approached Donna and Jenny. Her curiosity was running rampant despite the agony in her heart. "You travel with him, don't you two?"

Jenny snapped in a sharp whisper, "None of your business!"

"Proper Dave," the Doctor said, pausing a moment, "could you move over a bit?"

The man was confused. "Why?"

He didn't bother answering. "Over there by the water cooler. Thanks."

Proper Dave looked askance at the Doctor, but followed instructions regardless.

Donna, although she wasn't crazy about this woman, sensed that she had to take charge of the questioning. "You act like you know him, but he doesn't know you. How come?"

River swallowed, knowing enough from her mother than she had to give a truthful answer. I've seen that kind of glare from her when I tried talking rubbish. Must be a ginger trait. She sighed, "He hasn't met me yet. I sent him a message but it went wrong, it arrived too early. This is the Doctor in the days before he knew me. And he looks at me, he looks right through me and it shouldn't kill me, but it does. And the same goes for seeing him..." She had to swallow to get the words out. "...so clearly in love with you."

"And why shouldn't he love her?" Jenny saw an opportunity to shove the woman into her place, and seized it. She all but got into the Professor's face, growling quietly, "She might've worked as one, but there's nothing temporary about her!"

"Quiet," Donna snapped in an even lower tone. "He's working! Don't disturb him!"

Jenny was only sorry for that. But not for any pain she might be causing.

"Temporary..." The concept was flicking some connections with the Doctor, and what little he'd said of his past companions. "Temp... Donna?" At the flickers in the two women's eyes, she knew who the ginger was. "You're Donna Noble?" Despite it all, River couldn't help but feel awed to be in her presence.

Damn, Jenny thought, she figured it out. But I'm not saying mine unless she somehow guesses it...

Donna sighed. "Yeah." Her voice was as tense as she felt. "Why?"

Of course, River thought sadly as so many things became clear about the Doctor's various actions over the years. The Most Important Woman in All of Creation... No wonder he's completely bonkers over her... even before she became that... "I do know the Doctor," she admitted softly. "But in the future. His personal future." But who is the blond...?

"So why don't you know me?" This was scaring Donna. "Where am I in the future?" Jerking her head toward Jenny, she added, even more desperately, "And why don't you know _her_?" I can accept my own death, but Jenny is supposed to _outlive_ her father!

River didn't want to answer the first two questions; the spoilers would be too painful. And it explained some of the sad looks she'd seen from the Doctor. But she had no clue about the third...

Fortunately, the Doctor interrupted. And River had never been so grateful for his talkative nature.

"OK, we've got a live one!" He was grim, even as he shouted. "That's not darkness down those tunnels, this is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man-eating swarm." He knelt, grabbed a chicken leg from the lunch box, and threw it into the shadows. But when it reached the ground, only the bone was left.

Jenny gasped. "That's what happened to Miss Evangelista..."

The Doctor sighed. "The piranhas of the air, the Vashta Nerada. Literally 'the shadows that melt the flesh.' Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive." And this isn't good...

"What d'you mean, most planets?" Donna knelt by him, drawing comfort from his presence despite his propensity to attract trouble. "Not Earth?"

His hearts broke a bit more over her words. I wish I could offer that comfort, but she knows when I'm lying... "Mmmm, Earth, and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. The dust in sunbeams."

That made everyone look around, especially River. Who finally felt fear sinking into her bones.

Donna shook her head, hoping against hope that her fears were wrong. "If they were on Earth, we'd know."

He sighed. "Nah, normally they live on road kill. But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark." Unfortunately...

"Every shadow?" Oh, my God, River thought, this is more dangerous than anything... Even the Weeping Angels...

"No." Which, he thought, is a bit of a relief. "But any shadow."

River's body trembled from deep inside. Something told her that this could threaten everything she knew. "So what do we do?"

And that, he knew, is the rub... "Daleks - aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans - back of the neck. Vashta Nerada... Run! Just run."

"Run?" That's it? River couldn't believe him sometimes! "Run where?" Have you thought of that?

He thought about that. "This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere."

"Don't look at me," Mr. Lux snapped, hiding his own fear, "I haven't memorized the schematics!"

A brainwave hit Donna, and she was suddenly, inexplicably grateful for every moment she'd spent being a complete chav. "Doctor, the little shop! They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff."

He beamed at her. "You're right! Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop!" And why I love you, he thought before he could stop himself, and he blushed.

Between his words, the look in his eyes, and the blush, Donna thought her skin would catch fire. God knows my heart has...

Proper Dave felt relieved. "OK, let's move it!" He started heading in that direction.

But the Doctor's eyes caught something that made his hearts sink."Actually, Proper Dave, could you stay where you are for a moment?" Oh, we're in more trouble than I thought...!

He frowned. "Why?"

Only part of this can be Donna and Jenny's influence, the Doctor thought about the agony he felt over having to say it. "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. But you've got two shadows." Everyone looked down, and saw the second shadow – that shouldn't have been there. "It's how they hunt, they latch on to a food source and keep it fresh."

Proper Dave felt his throat constrict his breath. "What do I do?"

"You stay absolutely still," the Doctor decided. It was the only thing he could think of. "Like there's a wasp in the room, like there's a million wasps." Not sure how long it'll work, but maybe it'll buy us a little time...

"We're not leaving you, Dave." You don't leave someone behind, River knew, Her parents had told her about the time they were separated by the quirks of time. She wouldn't inflict that on anyone.

"Course we're not leaving," the Doctor agreed. I have to try to save everyone here... But maybe get my girls to safety first so I can focus on getting the job done... "Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."

"On the floor," he said, feeling the weight of the universe dropping on him, "by my bag."

Anita went to fetch the helmet. The Doctor had to shout, "Don't cross his shadow!" Anita managed, and he took the helmet from her. "Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got." He carefully placed the helmet on Proper Dave.

"But, Doctor," Donna wondered aloud, more frightened than when the Empress had her hanging in that web, "we haven't got any helmets."

Jenny snapped, "And don't tell us that we're safe. You know that I can sense a bit of your thoughts, and I know that you are trying to think of a way to keep us safe. So don't even try lying!"

Well, I had a lie ready, he thought, but I suppose I should've known they'd see through me. Instead, he focused a question to Professor Song. "Professor, anything I can do with the suit?"

"What good are the damn suits?" Mr. Lux couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Miss Evangelista was wearing her suit, there was nothing left."

River had an idea. "We can increase the mesh-density, dial it up 400%. Make it a tougher meal."

The Doctor liked the idea. It could work, he thought. "OK." He quickly sonicked Proper Dave's suit, getting an idea. "800%! Pass it on." He turned, holding up the screwdriver, but she lifted a similar one.

River smirked. "Gotcha!" I always did love getting one up on the Doctor...

Jenny beat her father to the punch. "What is _that_?"

"It's a screwdriver," River answered, still grinning at the Doctor.

"It's sonic," he observed. And looks just like mine!

"Yeah, I know. Snap!" She enjoyed the look on his face, and turned around to seal everyone's suits.

The Doctor watched her. The suspicious side of him didn't like the implications of seeing that. He grabbed Donna and Jenny by a hand. "With me, come on!" He practically dragged them into the shop.

"What," Jenny snapped, pulling away from his grasp once they were in the other room, "are we doing?What the hell are you doing?"

"No talking," he snapped, not meaning to be mean, "just moving! Try it! Right, stand there in the middle."

Jenny could read enough of his thoughts – which told her that he was absolutely terrified – to figure out his plans. "It's a teleport," she realized grabbing Donna away from the Doctor. "Why didn't you get us to here in the first place?"

Donna got a bit worried. "You know him. He has to help others." She kept her tone low, trying to calm her overly tense daughter.

The Doctor pulled Donna toward the platform, despite Jenny's grip. "Stand in the middle," he ordered, reaching for Jenny as well and talking faster than usual – even for him. "Can't send the others, TARDIS won't recognize them."

Then Donna picked up on the idea, and abruptly pulled away, going back to Jenny's side. "What are you doing?"

"You don't have suits," he pleaded, rushing to them, "you're not safe!"

Donna gasped at his own recklessness. "You don't have a suit, so you're in just as much danger as we are and we're not leaving-"

"Damn right, we're not leaving," Jenny shouted. "Do you think we're going to leave you with that Professor? She's dangerous!"

In the other room, the shouting reached River's ears. And everyone else's. She briefly froze, despite not being surprised to hear how little she was trusted by the Soldier.

His hands shook from the fear he was feeling consumed by. "Let me explain," he started, trying to inject a calm note by keeping his voice down.

"What's there to explain?" Jenny looked out to make sure the shadows were a good distance away, but she'd had enough. "_You're_ going to listen to _me_ this time! What makes you think you can trust the Professor? You didn't hear her talking!"

The Doctor grabbed them in a panic. "I can't risk losing either of you!"

His shout, and the ones preceding it, were more than audible to the others. River blanched over the final proof of where the Doctor's love lay at this point in his life.

The Time-Lady saw red everywhere. "But you will, according to her!"

The Doctor stopped breathing. What? No!

Jenny shook from her anger. "She doesn't know us, but she knew of – of Donna!" She had to remind herself what she had planned, that she didn't think she could reveal who she was – or who Donna was to her. "She didn't say it, but her eyes hinted that Donna will meet a horrible fate! And who the hell does this woman think she is? A savior? She's dangerous! She carries a screwdriver like yours! She acted like she had absolute confidence that everything will turn out right, but the three of us all _know_ how badly things could end."

It had never dawned on River how much she'd relied on that comfort, that belief that – because the Doctor was there – things would turn out well. At least for her... She shivered as a few implications made the Soldier's anger seem a bit more reasonable.

The Doctor hadn't seen or sensed any of this coming; he'd been sure that Donna and Jenny had lots of time left with him. And he certainly hadn't seen his daughter's exploding temper coming – or realized how much she was like him at times. This was an Oncoming Storm of a different nature, and he had to find a way to contain it. "Jenny," he whispered, "you-"

But Jenny's anger needed an outlet. "Oh, God, if only those shadows had caught the Professor instead! Why should Miss Evangelista and Proper Dave have to pay for some adventurer's wanderlust? I talked with that poor girl, and she told me that the expedition wouldn't have happened – for all of Mr. Lux's money – without Professor Song's leadership! That sweet girl! She's dead! She can't grow up! She can't make something of herself!"

All five occupants in the other room flinched at the unspoken accusations. They were all finally willing to entertain the thought that they'd been too harsh on the assistant.

And Jenny wasn't done, Donna could tell. She grabbed her girls' shoulders. "We know," she whispered, trying to halt the torrent.

It was a futile effort; Jenny whirled on her mother. "Oh, don't _you_ try defending that Professor! You don't trust her, either, Donna Noble! You told me that the Doctor needs someone to stop him from going too far, someone to be there for him. Do you really trust that the woman who claims she knows him in the future has the instincts – much less the willingness – to fill that role? That she won't just encourage his worst traits like certain others have?"

River felt insulted, but also remembered all the time she'd wondered one thought: Oh, Doctor, why do I ever let you out? But she realized one other thing in that moment: Oh, God, she's right... I never could've stopped him those times...

I don't trust River Song to do _anything_ good for my Spaceman, Donna realized with a cringe. Not as far as the TARDIS could toss her...

And the Doctor saw the proof of the level of mistrust in Donna's stance, even though her tense gaze was fixed on Jenny. And his hearts sunk as he realized he'd never get his girls to safety while they viewed the Professor as a threat. Made Jenny's understandable anger over Rose – not to mention Rose's inexplicable jealousy over Sarah Jane – seem like child's play...

He had no idea how much, and his daughter was still not done. "_How_," Jenny screamed at Donna, "do we know that _she_ won't be the one to end our time with him? _How_ do we know she isn't a dangerous murderer?"

In the other room, River cringed. Whoever the Soldier is, she's dangerous. Especially to me... She tried to ignore the curious stares of the others.

I've got to stop this! The Doctor grabbed his daughter's shoulders. "Answer me quietly: Do you believe that River Song is a danger to us all?"

Jenny fixed her gaze deep into her father's eyes. "Yes. As sure I as know I have hearts and a soul." She knew she'd read something close before, but she was too furious to make the connection.

He looked at Donna, and caught her attention. "Do you agree with her?"

Donna couldn't tear her gaze away from his eyes. He needs my input, she realized, and he can't wait very long. He needs us to be safe... "I don't feel comfortable with the very thought of you being alone with her." At that moment, she could accept going away if it allowed him to concentrate; she'd sensed that her touch had distracted him more than once back there. Which, she knew, is very dangerous right now...

He sighed. Then there's only one thing I can do... "All right." He pulled his Sonic out, and handed it to Jenny. Her eyes widened, but he didn't let either speak. "Donna and I will transport back to the TARDIS to find whatever we can to help save everyone."

Oh, God... He's coming with me... "Including Proper Dave," Donna asked, desperately wanting to feel a bit of hope for the man.

It was more an attempt to distract herself from the implications of his not leaving her side. She'd never admit to that, though...

The Doctor frowned. "I hope. But at least to get everyone we can safely out of here, and maybe solve this mystery." And have every moment I can with Donna... and fight for more time for both of my girls... I'm not willing to accept that what I'm hearing will happen...!

He turned back to Jenny, and quickly put his fingers up to establish the telepathic connection. 'This is everything I know about the Vashta Nerada. There's no telling what you'll need." Good thing, he thought, that Gallifreyan minds can work so quickly! "Now," he added, as they disconnected, letting Jenny's mind absorb the new knowledge, "swear to me that you'll be careful and not let _anyone_ die."

Jenny realized what else he meant, and was angry. "Even-"

He grabbed her shoulders again. "You don't _allow_ _anyone_ to die! No matter what you feel about them! I want you to always want to save people! Don't you _dare_ push anyone into something that could kill them! Swear it on the TARDIS!"

She shuddered, knowing he'd never made anyone promise that level of vow before. "I swear it," she promised, reaching to the bottom of her hearts. Even if it kills me...

OK, he sighed, she's agreed and I can trust she'll keep her word to me. He grabbed Donna's hand and pulled her with him onto the platform. "One of those levers should do it," he said, squeezing Donna's hand in reassurance.

Donna looked at her. "We'll see you soon," she promised as she returned the grip.

Jenny nodded, pushed a lever and watched as her parents teleported away. She sighed in relief. "So, that's how you do it!" Now they're _both_ safe from _her_!

"Doctor!" River called from the other room, finally feeling that she could talk without getting shouted at. Things seemed to have quieted, and she hoped that the Doctor had talked the Soldier into some sense of calm. And maybe this awful headache I'm starting to feel will go away...

Jenny smirked as she ran back. Can't wait to deflate her ego a bit more... Of course, Mum and Dad looked more aware of each other's feelings than ever... If this is what pushes them into each other's arms... then I guess I'll have to find a way to thank Professor Song... _after_I make sure she knows to stay the hell away from my Dad...

* * *

><p>When Jenny rushed in alone, River was shocked. "Where are the Doctor and Donna?" She had to force herself to ask about the latter; it seemed a bad idea not to.<p>

Jenny ignored her. Especially when she noticed a major difference around Proper Dave: the second shadow had vanished."Where did it go?"

Proper Dave's voice was baffled. "It's just gone. I... I looked round, one shadow. See?"

Where _is_ the Doctor? And where did this massive headache come from? River, however, chose to ask something else. "Does that mean we can leave? I don't want to hang around here."

"I don't know why we're still here," Mr. Lux groaned. "We can leave him, can't we? I mean, no offense..."

"Shut up, Mr. Lux," River snapped. But he wasn't the only thing upsetting her; she realized she suddenly couldn't drag up from the depths of her memories the one bit of knowledge about the Doctor that had become an immense source of comfort... That one _precious_ word...

Better you two as targets for each other's anger than me, Jenny thought. "Did you feel anything? Like an energy transfer? Anything at all?"

She could tell he was probably shaking his head inside. "No, no, but, look, it's, it's gone." He even started to turn around to show he seemed clear.

Something from her transferred knowledge was nagging at her. "Stop moving! They're never just gone. And they never give up." She knelt and scanned the shadow coming from Proper Dave. "OK, this one's benign."

"Hey," Proper Dave suddenly exclaimed, "who turned out the lights?"

Jenny stood up, and backed off a bit; something instinctual told her to. "No-one, they're fine."

"No, seriously," Proper Dave nearly shouted, "turn them back on!"

River didn't need to see the Soldier backing off to know things were turning uglier. "They are on."

"I can't see a ruddy thing," he said, panic practically raining from his voice.

"Dave," Jenny ordered softly, despite knowing she wasn't prepared for whatever she'd see, "turn round."

Proper Dave turned back to the group slowly, but his face was suddenly invisible in the darkness of the helmet._ "_What's going on? Why can't I see? Is the power gone, are we safe here?"

"Dave,"Jenny said softly, sifting through her new knowledge as quickly as she could, "I want you stay still, absolutely still." The man suddenly stiffened, and Jenny just knew his end was coming. I've already failed... Now I know how Dad's guilt has grown over the years... "Dave, can you hear me, are you all right? Talk to me, Dave."

His voice grew a bit calmer, but it was clearly forced. "I'm fine, I'm OK, I'm... I'm fine."

If things are like with Miss Evangelista, she thought, then he'll start ghosting soon. All I can do is be a calm voice for him to hear on his way out. "OK, stay still, but tell me: do you feel physically all right?"

"I'm fine," he said again, "I'm OK, I'm, I'm fine. I can't... Why can't I? I... I can't... Why can't I? I... I can't... Why can't I? I..." The lights on his communicator blinked, signaling the end.

_"_He's gone," River announced, knowing it wasn't necessary but felt it should be noted aloud. "He's ghosting."

Mr. Lux had to voice the new obvious question: "Then why is he still standing?"

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?" The tone was identical to the last time they heard it, and then: "Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

Jenny's eyes widened in horror. Oh, God, it's learning...

River felt some relief seeing the Soldier stay put, whereas the Doctor – ever reckless at times – would've approached Proper Dave's suit. "Stay away," she ordered everyone.

**"**Hey!" It repeated. "Who turned out the lights?"

Jenny aimed the Sonic at the helmet, and the visor flipped, revealing a skeleton. Everyone gasped. And the communicator kept talking: "Who turned out the lights? Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Excuse me!" River shouted to everyone. "We should go!"

Jenny nodded. "Get away from it, now!" The group did, but it was obvious that they no longer had a clear way out, and Skeleton Dave was now walking toward them like a zombie.

River commented drily, "Doesn't move very fast does it?"

"It's a swarm in a suit," Jenny retorted. "But it's learning. Much too fast," she added as several shadows stretched out from Skeleton Dave toward them.

_"_What do we do?" Mr. Lux couldn't remember such fear in his life, or imagining such horror. "Where do we go?"

River quickly scanned the areas around them, and looked right where Mr. Lux was standing. "See that wall behind you? Duck!" He did, and River whipped out a sonic blaster, which blew a hole in the wall.

For the first time, Jenny felt a bit of admiration toward the smug professor. "A squareness gun!" She knew of it only from the reading in the TARDIS library.

"Everybody out," River ordered sharply. "Go, go, go! Move it, move, move! Move it, move, move!" When they did, they quickly found themselves in a shadowy aisle. "He said not every shadow," River recalled, looking around.

Jenny was already scanning hard. "But _any_ shadow!" Now I get why Dad gets so frustrated with other species sometimes...

"Hey!" They saw Skeleton Dave lumbering slowly toward them. "Who turned out the lights?"

"Run!" Jenny and River shouted simultaneously. They all did.

* * *

><p>Moments later, Jenny used the Sonic to adjust a lamp's settings. River watched nearby while the others sat, panting from the exertion that wearing the suits demanded.<p>

"What are you doing?" River watched the girl who might be her most personally dangerous enemy yet. Except... her mind was suddenly telling her that she did know the girl after all... But where did those memories come from, she asked herself. I had no idea who she was when I first saw her! And why can't I now draw up my memories of the Doctor as I remember him?

"Trying to boost the power." Question was legit, Jenny acknowledged silently. Although she spoke more to the others than to River. "Light doesn't stop them, but it slows them down."

River approached and added her screwdriver's power to the effort. "So, what's the plan? Do we have a plan?"

The lamp messed with as much as possible, Jenny stopped and yanked the sonic out of River's hand. The professor gasped in indignation, but Jenny was out of reach in seconds. She looked at her new acquisition with a suspicious eye. "Your screwdriver... looks exactly like... the Doctor's." It took all her concentration to _not_ say Dad's. "How the hell did you get it?"

I'd better be very careful about my answers, River thought; she might be the only way we're getting out of this one alive. "He gave it to me." But now the memory of the man she remembered was completely fuzzy; she couldn't make out his face, or what he wore – and she'd seen them both often enough!

Jenny scowled. "You're lying. He doesn't give his screwdriver to _anyone_. He barely lets _me_ use it – although he's promised to make me one."

I'm not _anyone_. But River didn't voice the thought; the Soldier had reacted very violently back in the Shop, so it seemed unwise to fuel her fire. "I'm not lying, and I'm positive that it's not the screwdriver that the Doctor uses right now. Which you're holding in your other hand. So where is he?"

A small triumphant smile crossed Jenny's face. "I teleported Donna and the Doctor back to the TARDIS. They'll look for things that can help us." I'm sure Dad was counting on Emergency Program One to kick in if things went to hell and he'd succeed in sending us back there. Silly man. "As for... your Sonic," she added, pocketing it, "I don't believe you, so I'm confiscating it. He was freaked to see you with one."

River sighed, wanting to protest but sensing it was a bad idea. Doubt I'm going to get a better answer, especially when she said that she doesn't trust me near him. I've got to find a way to get her to trust me. Maybe my journal will help, and remind of what I inexplicably can't recall. "We need to get a shift on," she announced to the others.

Then Jenny realized that the TARDIS had been nudging her mind for some time. Jenny felt her insides freeze solid as the frantic message finally came through. She looked at her father's Sonic and its readings didn't comfort her. "Oh, my God," she whispered. "They're not there... I should've received a signal, the console signals if there's a teleport breach."

River's heart lurched into her throat. "Well, maybe the co-ordinates have slipped. The equipment here's ancient." She prayed it was the case. "They have to still be here." _He_ has to still be here, she thought – although she didn't dare say it.

Jenny ran to the nearest Node. "Donna Noble and the Doctor. There's a human woman called Donna Noble and a Gallifreyan man called The Doctor somewhere in this Library. Do you have the software to locate their positions?" Please let them be OK...

The Node turned its head toward Jenny, and the face it revealed froze her solid. "Donna Noble has left the Library." The tone was the same robotic one, but it was her voice... "Donna Noble has been saved."

Jenny's jaw had dropped, nearly unhinging. "Mum..." She choked on the whisper.

But, where it always stopped before, it kept turning. All five people – with varying levels of dread – suddenly knew what face and voice would appear next. And they were right: "The Doctor has left the Library. The Doctor has been saved."

Jenny's legs wobbled, dropping her to the floor. Only River's proximity prevented her from unconsciously injuring herself from the fall. River acted on instinct, barely aware she'd done it as she whispered, "How can it be Donna and the Doctor? How's that possible?

It kept turning. "Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."

"Oh, Mum and Dad...!" Jenny's voice was barely audible to her own ears. "Oh, my God... What have I done...?"

River's ears were just close enough to pick it up, but she wasn't aware of it at that moment... She instead felt two heartbeats under her hands... She's Gallifreyan...? Then the Doctor is her father...?


	8. Have Patience and Endure

**Author's Note**: Okay, my dear readers... Here's a mixed bag of news for you. A new chapter earlier than I'd originally planned! However... because I'm not sure how well I can juggle multiple angles like an episode does, especially this version of "Forests of the Dead," I felt I had to write the following chapters in a particular way... Which means the absence of two major characters for a few chapters...

But please bear with me. I think you'll eventually agree that this part of the story was absolutely necessary. Especially because there will be a sequel... You might disagree with how I'm presenting the story now, but this is what my Muse and I were able to agree upon. With bas_math_girl's help. So she deserves a major round of applause for helping me with this story. Love ya, girlfriend!

* * *

><p>CHAPTER EIGHT: HAVE PATIENCE AND ENDURE<p>

The Node continued turning and announcing. "The Doctor has left the Library."

"Hey!" Another unwelcome voice, accompanied by halting steps. "Who turned out the lights?" Skeleton Dave entered the aisle. The others started getting up, but Jenny couldn't move, couldn't take her eyes off the Node.

Waving the others onward, River shook Jenny. "Soldier!"

"The Doctor has been saved"

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Donna Noble has left the Library."

River dragged Jenny to her feet. "Listen, we've got to go, now!" She pulled the completely shocked girl away, following the others.

"Donna Noble has been saved."

The escape was haunted by those six sentences repeating themselves over and over – until they were far enough away that four of them – the worst four – were inaudible. Jenny's soldier instincts _finally_ kicked in, and she was able to run under her own steam – but halted with the others when shadows closed from the other end of the aisle, and Skeleton Dave continued his approach.

River looked at their only hope. "Soldier, what are we gonna do?"

At that moment, Jenny had no clue... All she knew was that she had to somehow take up her dad's mantle... Had to keep these people alive... She'd promised him, and she owed it to him and her Mum to do it... No matter the emptiness inside her hearts...

River, sensing that the Soldier was still recovering her wits, used the squareness gun again to make a hole in the wall. "This way, quickly, move!" They rushed through.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

Jenny was vaguely aware that she was getting _very_ sick of that phrase.

River soon had to blast their way into another room. "OK," she said on seeing a fair bit of light, "we've got a clear spot. In, in, in!" She continued to be a verbal guide, even as the others seemed to instinctively know what to do. "Right in the centre, in the middle of the light, quickly! Don't let your shadows cross." She turned to Jenny, who already had both Sonics out for scanning. "Soldier..."

"Already on it!" Jenny couldn't help the snap. Don't you see what I'm doing?

Forcing herself to ignore the angry retort, River saw much more to concern them as she scanned the room with her eyes. "There's no lights here," she said, realizing this room was entirely lit by the dimming sun. "Sunset's coming, we can't stay long. Have you found a live one?"

Jenny shook both Sonics, and tried scanning each with the other – the TARDIS giving her suggestions all the while. "Maybe, it's getting harder to tell. Why are both of them acting up?"

Not good... River thought quickly for a solution. "We're gonna need a chicken leg. Who's got a chicken leg?" Other Dave ripped his bag open and had one out impressively fast. "Thanks, Dave," she smiled. Good man. She threw the leg into the shadow the Soldier was trying to scan, and it was stripped to the bone before it hit the floor. She flinched. "OK... OK, we've got a hot one. Watch your feet."

Jenny stood slowly. "They won't attack until there's enough of them," she said, thinking about what she knew thanks to her father's actions, "but they've got our scent now, they're coming." She moved to try scanning again, after attempting a few meddling options the TARDIS was giving her.

"Who was he?" Other Dave whispered sharply, catching River's attention. "You didn't even told us. You just expected us to trust him."

There was no good way to explain given the danger, River knew. "He... He's the Doctor." And maybe he's still alive... She frantically dug for her journal.

Mr Lux interrupted her thoughts. "And who is the Doctor?"

Her answer was absent, as her memories felt even foggier than before. "The only story you'll ever tell - if you survive him." She pulled it free of her bag.

Anita risked grabbing River's arm. "You say he's your friend," she pointed out, looking back and forth between River and the tense young woman nearby, "but he didn't even know who you are, and neither does she."

River knew that this prattling could cost them dearly, so she cut them off. "Listen, all you need to know is this..." She had to revise what she'd normally say in light of her fear of the Soldier's reaction. "I've trusted that man to the end of the universe. And I'm positive that she – for all her anger – is equally trustworthy." She opened to a random page – and felt her heart and lungs stop working.

Anita was very skeptical. "He didn't act like he trusted you, and she's got a worse opinion of you."

Flipping pages, she kept finding the same thing over and over again... Through the haze of her shocking discovery, River found one thought in response to the questions: And I may know why... "Yeah," she admitted, "there's a tiny problem. He hadn't met me yet. And I'm not sure who she is exactly – although I may have some idea of who she _could_ be to him..." She cut them off further by walking over to their hope of survival. And my only hope for answers...

Jenny shook each sonic. Dad's mallet would be really nice to have right now... But why is Professor Song's dead all of a sudden...?

River frowned at the intense concentration – combined with the unusual image of someone shaking a Sonic Screwdriver like a glow stick. Try being nice... "What's wrong with them?"

Great... Jenny forced herself to keep working on the problem, and growled, "There's a signal coming from somewhere, interfering with both of them. Although yours has stopped working completely."

That's not good... She tried to think, and an idea came. "Then use the red settings."

Jenny looked up, and River drew back at the venom in the gaze. "I already tried all the settings on both – including the ones on yours that the Doctor's doesn't have. Which begs a few questions about how, some time in the future, he supposedly just gives you a screwdriver rather like his."

River sighed. "I didn't pluck it from his cold dead hands, I swear! I know that means nothing to you, since you've lost your parents -"

What? The Time-Lady hadn't thought her hackles could get this high. "Excuse me? How did you-?"

"You whispered 'Mum' and 'Dad' as you stared at the Node," River explained softly. Got to be careful, treat her as delicately as possible. "I felt your heartbeats, which tells me that – somehow – the Doctor is your father. Clearly you view Donna Noble as your mother, whatever the circumstances of your birth, and feel she has a claim to him."

"More than you could know," Jenny snapped. "Go ahead and tell me that you understand. That I need to be less emotional. But you listen to me, Professor Song: I'm trying to keep all of you alive, just like I promised my dad I would!" I'm not admitting if she's gets anything else right! Her voice was clipped from the effort of restraining the urge to hit River. "So unless you want to die right here, you'll only speak if you have something to offer than might save us. Got it? I'm not asking any questions about you until after we're safe, so you can focus on trying to save everyone, too!"

Even if I live for an eternity, River thought as something she never expected popped into her mind, I might never quite get how this could be... "I swear I don't know how I can know this," she said, moving a bit closer to the unmoving Time-Lady, "given that I can't remember ever meeting you, but I can't wait to figure that out. I need you to trust that you _can_ trust me..." She quickly leaned in, and whispered her new knowledge:

"Jennifer 'Jenny' Celeste Noble."

Jenny's jaw would've hit her chest if it could've. Her mouth moved, but she couldn't get out any words.

River pulled back, saddened by the horrified shock on the young woman's face. "I shouldn't know that, I know... But I also shouldn't be forgetting everything about the Doctor! Look!" She opened her journal to Jenny's vision.

The stunned girl's eyes fixed on the pages, and her eyebrows drew together as the sight registered. "The words... They're all blurry... and vanishing..."

River snapped the book shut. "It's that way for every page! I suddenly got a massive headache, and I bet it was the moment you teleported the Doctor away. Ever since then, my memory has become a blur, and now I can't draw up one detail about him from the many adventures with him! You might've lost your parents, but I've lost almost my _entire_ past!" She couldn't talk any further, knowing she'd break down into tears if she did, and walked back to the rest of the group.

The room was silent. The various bombshells were a lot to absorb.

After a few seconds, Jenny's Time-Lady brain started working again. "Time-lines... You said you can't remember the details..." She didn't get an answer – not that she was expecting one, or left much time to get one. "Dad said some moments in history can be rewritten, and others are fixed. The latter moments must always happen, he said. But if you can still recall the adventures, and the look in your eye tell me you can, and the fact that your screwdriver is still in my hand means one thing: the universe is trying to compensate for what's going on right now, for the changes."

Mr. Lux couldn't follow her line of thought. "What are you going on about?"

Jenny ignored him; her mind was connecting dots that were telling her something hopeful. And it quickened her breath. "But if he was critical to saving the day, which your trust in him suggests, then there's a chance he's still there. Just not quite how you remember. Maybe, just maybe, my Mum and Dad are still alive somewhere we can't detect!" Her eyes widened further. "And maybe the same is true for all those people from 100 years ago!"

Other Dave stared in shock at her. "But how?"

"I don't know," Jenny promptly shot back, "but I'm going to find out. I am Jenny Noble, the Daughter of the Doctor and the Best Temp in Chiswick, after all!" No point in hiding my identity any longer...

River found a tiny smile, and the previous hopelessness began to fade. She has his determination...

Then Jenny's eyes drifted to her father's Sonic. "Wait... Dad's screwdriver is very hard to interfere with, practically nothing's strong enough... Well, some hairdryers, like Mum's ionic." Her mouth quirked, remembering her Mum's enthusiastic retelling of _that_ early moment on board – including his frustration over Donna's lack of remorse. "Means there's a _very_ strong signal coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before. So what's changed?" She looked up to see the others look in confusion at each other. She groaned loudly. "Come on! What's new? What's different?"

Other Dave shrugged. "I dunno, nothing. It's getting dark."

Jenny decided she'd forgive the man's ignorance. "It's a sonic screwdriver, it works in the dark." She looked up at the darkening sky, and notice what was coming into view. "Moon rise... Tell me about the moon. What's there?"

"It's not real," Mr. Lux quickly said, not ready to tell the whole story and hoping he wouldn't have to, "it was built as part of the Library. It's just a doctor moon."

Jenny frowned. "What's a doctor moon?"

Mr. Lux silently acknowledged the legitimacy of the question. "A virus checker. It supports and maintains the main computer at the core of the planet."

Turning the Doctor's Sonic back on, she aimed it at a random point while she checked the readings. "Hmm, still active, still signaling." She thought aloud, "Someone somewhere in this Library is alive and communicating with the moon, or, possibly alive and drying their hair. No, the signal's definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through..."

As she spoke, suddenly the images of Donna and the Doctor appeared. They were fuzzy, and in clothing different from what they'd been wearing earlier. But they seemed to see Jenny...

River gasped. "Jenny!"

She was ready to snap at the woman's use of her name, but Jenny happened to turn her head in the right direction. She almost choked at the sight. "Mum! Dad!" But the images faded as quickly as they came.

River moved to join Jenny, practically bubbling with new hope. "Jenny, that was them! Can you get them back? What was that?"

Too many questions... "I knew it! They're still alive! Could the teleport have sent them to the moon somehow?"

Mr. Lux shook her head. "The range isn't far enough, and there's nothing there to support life except in certain computer areas. And it's not recommended to go in there without spacesuits."

She flinched. "Damn!" She messed with the Sonic. "I'm trying to find the wavelength. Ah, I'm being blocked!"

Suddenly Anita squeaked, "Jenny? Professor?"

River opened her mouth to ask for a moment, but Jenny – remembering Miss Evangelista – was quicker. "Yes?"

The dignified woman was staring at the floor in horror. "It's important. I have two shadows..."

Everyone saw it. Jenny sucked in a breath, covering her mouth in an unconscious copying of Donna. Oh, my God... I've failed again...

River managed to maintain her self-control. "OK," she spoke calmly, hoping to provide comfort. "Helmets on, everyone. Anita, I'll get yours."

Tears formed in Anita's eyes. "It didn't do Proper Dave any good," she choked.

Quickly collecting the helmet, River tried to be soothing. "Just keep it together, OK?"

Jenny approached to help River lock the helmet on, while Anita looked like she wanted to let out a hysterical, short laugh. "Keeping it together, I'm only crying. I'm about to die, it's not an overreaction."

Once the helmet was on, Jenny had an idea. "Hang on." She aimed the Sonic, and the visor went dark.

River recoiled. "Oh, God, they've got inside."

Jenny shook her head."I just tinted her visor. Maybe they'll think they're already in there, leave her alone."

"D'you think they can be fooled like that?" River eyed the girl, wondering just how young she was.

The Time Lady shrugged, not knowing what else to do. "Gotta try something. It's a swarm, it's not like we chat."

Other Dave, his own helmet not tinted, looked worriedly at his cohort. "Can you still see in there?"

"Just about."

Jenny marveled at the woman's composure under pressure. Wish we could offer her a chance as a companion.. "Just make sure you don't cross anyone's shadow." Then she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "Oh, it doesn't give up!

River turned to face her. "What is it?"

Looking off in the distance, Jenny shook her head. "Skeleton Dave is back."

They all turned and saw the possessed suit standing there. River shouted, "How long has he been there?"

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Don't worry about that," Jenny shouted back. "Run!"

They ran, with those annoying two sentences still following them. Finally, in a corridor, Jenny decided to try something her father would probably have done; the information could be useful. She stopped, quickly scanned the floor and – finding something useful – said, "Professor, go ahead, find a safe spot."

River gaped at her. Now I _know_ she's his daughter! "It's a carnivorous swarm in a suit, you can't reason with it," she gasped, trying to reason with the girl. Whether he's alive or not, I have to keep his daughter safe!

Jenny just gave her a did-you-think-I-didn't-know-that look. "I have a plan. Besides, I'm not as reckless as my Dad can be."

Seeing that she wouldn't talk her out of it, River snapped, "Other Dave, stay with her, pull her out when she's too stupid to live. Two minutes, Jenny." She promptly led Mr. Lux and Anita out.

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever done, Jenny realized. If I see him again, I'm going to have a chat with Dad about his habits... Especially the ones I've apparently inherited...

Skeleton Dave appeared. "Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

Jenny aimed the Sonic for the spot right in front of the suit zombie, using a setting her father had apparently never used; he was nervous about what it would do. It made a light so bright that the possessed suit stopped cold, even recoiled. Good, she thought, I've got a weapon – for now. "You hear that?" She channeled her father, seeking the words that might work. "Those words? That is the very last thought of the man who wore that suit before you climbed inside it and stripped his flesh. That's a man's soul trapped inside a neural relay, going round and round forever. Now, if you don't have the flipping decency to let him go, then use that neural relay to talk to me. Just point and think."

Skeleton Dave went, "Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

Jenny sighed. "The Vashta Nerada live on all the worlds in this system, but you hunt in forests. What are you doing in a library?"

Other Dave spoke. "We should go. Jenny!"

She wanted to turn to look, but she was afraid to look away, afraid her aim would slip. "Just one more minute, Other Dave. You came to the Library to hunt, why? Just tell me why?"

Slowly, new words came. "We...did not."

This could be really, good, she thought, or really, really bad... "Hello," she snapped sarcastically.

"We did not," Skeleton Dave repeated.

Dad would tell it to take it easy, that you'll get the hang of it. I'm not that nuts. "Did not what?"

"We... did not... come... here."

Jenny frowned. "Well, of course you did, of course you came here."

"We come from here."

That made her pause. "From _here_?"

"We hatched here."

Jenny's still dazed mind tried to wrap around that, trying to recall everything she's absorbed. "But you hatch from trees, from spores in trees."

"These are our forests."

If I were sure it could see me, Jenny thought, I'd roll my eyes at that ridiculous statement. "You're nowhere near a forest. Can't you look around you?"

"These are our forests."

She wanted to snap at it, but something started dawning on her. "This isn't a forest, it's a library. There are no trees in a..." She freed one hand to slap her forehead – an unconscious imitation of the Doctor.

"We should go," Other Dave exclaimed again. "Jenny!"

Unfortunately, Jenny's mind – once engaged – could be as single-minded as her father's. "Books. You came in the books. Microspores in a million million books."

"We should go. Jenny!"

"Damn it!" She risked a glance around her. "The forests of the Vashta Nerada, pulped and printed and bound. A million million books, hatching shadows."

"We should go. Jenny!"

Jenny looked behind, as she realized that he'd been repeating the same words for a while. Her eyes watered as she saw a skull where his face had been, and the neural relay was blinking. "Oh, no, Dave! Oh, Other Dave, I'm so sorry."

Then what was Other Dave started closing in. Jenny realized that she only had the ability to aim at one of them, as she wasn't sure how to make it spread around her.

_"_Hey!" The former Proper Dave resumed, "Who turned out the lights?"

And the former Other Dave went, "We should go. Soldier!"

Jenny stopped the setting and lowered it to aim again below her. "I'll give my Dad this: he may be stupid, talk too much, always babbling on - that gob doesn't stop for anything other than Mum – but he stays alive 'cause he always manages to stay near the door." She depressed a button, which opened the trap door she'd deliberately stood on top of – sending her down.

She quickly put the Sonic in her mouth, and grabbed one of the metal structures off just to the side. She quickly used the instinctive gymnastic skills – flipping from arms to legs over and over again – she somehow was born with to move out of sight of the opening. She only stopped to scan the way ahead, checking for dangerous shadows. Good thing it's still fairly bright out over here...

She didn't know that, deep within the computer, the girl they'd seen in the screen was watching her with a happy smile...


	9. Th'idea of Her Life

Author's Note: Sorry for the continued absence of Donna and the Doctor. But this part of the story demanded to finish first. Also, the parts that every reader is waiting (impatiently) for needed more work; I'm not quite happy with them, so I'm waiting for my beta to get back to me. This might just be the absolute darkest before the dawn begins to appear, but dawn won't fully break until the end...

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><p>CHAPTER NINE: TH'IDEA OF HER LIFE<p>

In another large room in the Library, River, Anita and Mr Lux stood around, eying the shadows nearby. It was bright enough that they might have some time, but River couldn't stop thinking one thing: I wish my Sonic still worked... and that I had it with me to scan... She had to break the silence. "You know..." she said absently, voicing another thought, "it's funny, I keep wishing the Doctor was here."

Anita seized on the reminder. "But The Soldier, the girl who now calls herself Jenny, is here, isn't she? She's coming back, right?"

Above them, Jenny entered quietly through a hidden door. She almost made herself known, but she wondered what River Song had to say about the man she apparently knew as the Doctor. I want to know what else I need to rewrite if I can...

River sighed. "You know when you see a photograph of someone you know, but it's from years before you knew them? It's like they're not quite... finished, they're not done yet. Well... yes, the Doctor's here. He came when I called, just like he always does. But... I can't quite remember now, but I know he's not _my_ Doctor. Now _my_ Doctor... I've seen whole armies turn and run away. And he'd just swagger off back to his TARDIS and open the doors with a snap of his fingers. The Doctor... in the TARDIS... next stop: everywhere."

Jenny snorted aloud, startling all three people. "Oh, _please_!" Her father would have walked down the stairs, but Jenny was impatient. She jumped down the side, landing near River – and shocking the room. "Nobody can open a TARDIS by snapping their fingers." She spoke like she imagined she'd be talking to Rose Tyler: like speaking to a dim-wit who was trying your last nerve. "It doesn't work like that."

River sighed. "It does for the Doctor," she stressed.

Jenny scowled. "The man I came with, the one you saw earlier, _is_ the Doctor."

River shrugged. "Yeah. Some day."

Jenny couldn't stop herself any longer. Her right hand flew to River's cheek, and made loud contact – shocking Anita and Mr. Lux – the latter's stunned stare completely visible.

River stumbled backwards, barely stopping herself from landing in an shadow. When she recovered her balance, despite a flipping nasty ache in her face and head – making her wonder if she had any cracked bones, she looked at Jenny in anger. "Hey!"

But Jenny didn't let her talk. "Believe me: if I were going to put you into an infected shadow, I would've done it as soon as I recovered my wits after that... that Node. Unfortunately for me, Dad doesn't like killing and made me promise to not let anyone die. And I keep my promises to my parents." She stalked right up to River, looking every inch the Oncoming Storm. "As for your words there... No-one is _ever_ finished until they die. We all live in moments, and our knowledge of someone is built from all of the moments that we know of or experienced with them. Calling them 'finished' or 'unfinished' assumes a certainty about what they'll become – which not even a time-traveler can assume! Not even a Time Lord! I accept that my father will wear other faces eventually, have a different personality, but your attitude is _completely_ insulting to all those who came before the one you apparently knew as the Doctor!"

River blinked, frozen in a daze. The idea never occurred to me...

No one else could speak, either. Jenny took advantage of that to walk over to Anita. "How are you doing?"

River managed to find her voice, voicing a different thought. "Where's Other Dave?"

Jenny briefly glared at her. "Not coming, sorry. Should've kept him with you; he might still be alive." The words got the desired cringe out of the smug professor. River lowered her face in shame.

Anita interrupted what could've turned ugly. "Well, if they've taken him, why haven't they gotten me yet?"

Sighing, Jenny admitted, "I don't know. But you still have two shadows. Maybe tinting your visor's making a difference." Although one seemed smaller than it was before...

"It's making a difference all right." The heartbreak was evident. "No-one's ever going to see my face again."

Don't cry, Jenny told herself. Not yet. Instead, she softly asked, "Can I get you anything? Do anything for you?"

"An old age would be nice," Anita answered. "Anything you can do?"

Jenny managed a smile, hoping Anita could see it. "You know I'm all over it."

"Soldier... Or Jenny, whatever your name is..." Anita tried to find the right words. "When we first met you and your family, you didn't trust Professor Song. Didn't believe a single word she said. And then she whispered some words in your ear, and you did. Believe her words, that is."

Jenny tried to not frown. Not really, she thought. But there was no reason to tell Anita that.

"My life so far..." Anita's lovely voice was cracking, tugging at everyone's hearts. "I could do with a word like that, one that might make me feel I can trust completely in someone. What did she say?" She paused a moment. "Give a dead girl a break. Your secrets are safe with me."

"Safe..." Why does that sound so important...? Jenny's brain went into overdrive, trying to put the rest of the puzzle together.

"What?" Anita sounded as baffled as River and Mr. Lux were.

"Safe." Jenny spoke her thoughts aloud, feeling the influence of both of her parents. "You don't say saved, nobody with half a wit says saved, you say safe. The data fragment! What did it say?"

Mr. Lux promptly repeated it: "'4,022 people saved. No survivors.'"

River was already nervous about what the girl would do next, but this was frightening her. "Jenny?"

Jenny's voice went hyper as her body trembled with excitement. "Only nutters say saved, the rest of us say safe. But it didn't mean safe, it meant... it _literally_ meant... saved!" She ran to an information terminal, and was able to draw the right data from it. "See," she exclaimed, "there it is, right there! A hundred years ago, massive power surge, all the teleports going at once. Soon as the Vashta Nerada hit their hatching cycle, they attack. Someone hits the alarm, the computer tries to teleport everyone out."

River gaped. "It tried to teleport 4,022 people?"

Jenny nodded, practically bouncing with new energy. "All at once. And successfully pulled 'em all out, but then what? Nowhere to send them, nowhere safe in the whole Library, Vashta Nerada growing in every shadow. 4,022 people all beamed up and nowhere to go. They're stuck in the system, waiting to be sent, like emails. So what's a computer to do? What does a computer always do?"

Despite the still fuzzy memories, despite the brimming distrust from the Doctor's Daughter, River smiled – feeling true hope for the first time since seeing his image flicker. "It saved them."

"The Library," Jenny marveled at the achievement, "a whole world of books, and right at the core, the biggest hard drive in history. The index to everything ever written, backup copies of every single book. The computer saved 4,022 people the only way a computer can. It saved them to the hard drive." Her voice quieted a bit as she added, "And I'm betting it saved two more today..."

An alarm suddenly blared all around them. Mr. Lux shouted, "What is it? What's wrong?"

A male computer voice, one they hadn't heard before, spoke: "Autodestruct enabled in 20 minutes."

River ran over to the terminal Jenny was looking at, and read the screen's new information. "What's maximum erasure?"

Oh, my God... "20 minutes," Jenny numbly explained, "this planet's gonna crack like an egg."

"No!" Mr. Lux exclaimed, desperately needing to be right. "No, it's all right, the doctor moon will stop it. It's programmed to protect CAL."

Except moments later, the terminal went blank. Jenny slapped it. "No, come back!"

**"**All Library systems are permanently offline," the computer announced. "Sorry for any inconvenience. Shortly..."

"We need to stop this," Mr. Lux screamed, "we've got to save CAL!" I can't let her die!

"You've never answered me or my father!" Jenny fixed a hard glare on him, crossing her arms. "What is CAL?"

I have to trust she'll keep the secret. "We need to get to the main computer," he gave in, "I'll show you."

Jenny gasped. "But that's at the core of the planet!"

River found her old smile. "Well, then. Let's go! Sonic that symbol on the floor, Jenny. Should be setting 249!"

She frowned, but did it – shocked when it opened to reveal a... "Gravity platform," River proclaimed with glee.

Jenny sighed. "Maybe you were a _bit_ of a help to him." She stepped on and reactivated the setting that kept Skeleton Proper Dave at bay, aiming it to keep shadows from crossing. "Everyone on!"

River wisely kept silent the whole way down. His daughter might be thawing a bit, she knew, but she'd still throw me to the shadows if not for that promise she mentioned...

* * *

><p>"Autodestruct in 15 minutes," the computer announced as they arrived at the outside of the core.<p>

"My God," Jenny whispered in horror. "The Data Core! 4,024 living minds, trapped inside it!" I haven't come this far to lose everything – again!

"Yeah," River snapped, "well they won't be living much longer, we're running out of time."

"Help me," they suddenly heard. "Please, help me."

Anita asked, "What's that?"

"Was that a child?" River was horrified, vaguely remembering stories her parents told about people who tried to hurt her.

Jenny – positive she recognized the voice – went right to a terminal. "Computer's in sleep mode." She pushed a number of keys, to no avail. She slammed a hand on the side. "I can't wake it up. Why won't it wake?"

River looked over Jenny's shoulder at the screen, and the implications hit her hard. "Jenny, these readings!"

"I know," she answered, "you'd think it was... dreaming."

"It is dreaming," Mr. Lux interrupted, gently, lost a bit in a memory, "of a normal life, and a lovely Dad, and of every book ever written."

"Computers," Anita said, "don't dream."

"Help me," the little girl's voice pleaded from the terminal. "Please help me."

"No." Mr. Lux stepped forward. "But little girls do." He pushed a lever, opening a door, letting them run into the next room. Three froze completely when a Node turned toward them... showing the face of the little girl Jenny remembered from that odd conversation over the screen.

"Please help me," the little girl's face pleaded. "Please help me."

"Oh," River cried, "my God!" Tears formed rapidly.

"It's the little girl," Anita whispered. "The girl we saw in the computer."

"She's not in the computer," Mr. Lux corrected. "In a way, she _is_ the computer. The main command node. This is CAL."

Jenny wheeled on him, grabbing his arms. "CAL is a child! A child hooked up to a mainframe? Why didn't you tell us this? We needed to know this!"

"Because she's family!" He snapped, and pulled away to stare in sad fondness at the node. "CAL... Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so he built her a library, and put her living mind inside, with a moon to watch over her, and all of human history to pass the time, any era to live in, any book to read. She loved books more than anything. He gave her them all. He asked only that she be left in peace. A secret, not a freak show." He approached it slowly.

Jenny felt all her previous anger toward him melt away as his actions became clearer. "So you weren't protecting a patent, you were protecting her. Your aunt." Just as I tried to protect my parents...

"This is only half a life, of course," he admitted, gently stroking the girl's face. "But it's for ever."

"And then the shadows came," Jenny noted sadly, her hearts breaking for the little girl and her family.

"Shadows," the girl whimpered. "I have to... I have to save. Have to save..."

"And she saved them," Jenny whispered in awe. "She saved everyone in the Library, folded them into her dreams and kept them safe."

"Then why didn't she tell us?"

Anita's question was legitimate, Jenny knew. "Because she's forgotten. She's got over 4,000 living minds chatting away inside her head, it must be like... being... well, my Dad." She flinched as the implications of that hit her. "And she's now got him inside her, too, so that's double trouble..."

River shuddered at the enormity of CAL's task. "So what do we do?" How can we save the day this time?

"Autodestruct in ten minutes," the computer voice intoned.

Which drew Jenny's arms to cross again as she rapidly pondered options. One idea formed, allowing the plan forming in her head ever since she'd seen Skeleton Dave's reaction to that setting to seem doable, safe. "Okay... We have no choice but to beam all the people out of the data core, which will let the computer reset and stop the countdown. Oh," she suddenly realized from looking at one of the readouts, "only Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space left to make the transfer."

Oh, my God... The answer came to her, and her hearts sank. As they rebelled against the thought, part of her began to see it as the only way to fix the time-lines. To repair the damage she'd done by trying to protect her family when she didn't yet have the ability to sense time-lines... "Someone has to hook their mind up to the computer and she can borrow the person's memory space..." So this is it...

"What?" River had a sinking feeling about what Jenny was planning; the girl was getting a fatalistic look in her eyes. One she just knew she'd seen before in the Doctor's eyes... "It'll kill you stone dead!

"You think I don't know that?" Jenny turned and fixed a glare so fierce that River thought she'd be turned into stone. "So who could make it work? Anita can't; she's too far gone. I won't let Mr. Lux do it; he's going to be needed to help get everyone out safely. As for you? I don't see you sacrificing one bit of time with the Doctor! I see that you think you love him. Maybe you do." The admission broke Jenny's hearts, and the rest tumbled out in a rush. "And maybe I've just been fighting a losing battle, trying to give my parents have a chance to be together – a chance that maybe they never had to begin with."

Oh, my God! River found her memories starting to crystallize again – but the images were different. "Jenny," she pleaded desperately.

Jenny snapped, at her last edge of patience. "I'm right and this works! Shut up! If I'm supposed to die, then I'm going to give my death meaning! You and Mr. Lux, get back up to the main Library. Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download, Mr. Lux, and tell my parents that I love them. And before you say anything else, Professor, can I just mention one thing?" Jenny shook with anger, and couldn't hold back from shoving River against the wall with one hand – on her throat. "Whatever you think he might've felt for you, how can you be sure it wasn't because he felt trapped by fate, and not because he wanted it? Now that you've seen him with my Mum, I hope looking back on everything you ever experienced with my Dad makes you feel miserable!" She let one more slap fly before letting the insufferable woman go and moving to a terminal deeper in the room.

"You can't do this," River screamed – as best as she could – once she recovered from the initial shock.

"I can," Jenny screamed right back. Something nagged her awareness, and she pulled River's Sonic out. "And I will! Oh, and look. Your Sonic's working again. So I must be on the right track. Now get moving!" She tossed it to River.

Who caught it despite her shock. She shouted, "Mr Lux, with me! Anita, if she dies, I'll kill him once I see him again!"

As River and Mr Lux fled, Jenny dug into her pockets, pulling out her father's Sonic and a collection of small ball-shaped objects – also ignoring the TARDIS screaming in her mind, Don't do it, Jenny, don't do it! – to work on. Good luck getting through Mum to do that... But why would you care about my fate? And wouldn't killing my Dad defeat the purpose?


	10. Die a Woman With Grieving

**Author's Note**: One reviewer commented that changing River's time-line was extremely cruel – especially in light of her parents' history. I don't deny that Jenny is... lashing out, and not caring about hurting River's feelings. You have to remember that she IS only a few weeks old. A young woman who has a _lot_ of growing up to do, and – although she probably would've denied how much before this adventure – still _very_ dependent on her parents. She, as she's formed in my mind from writing her in another fic, is also fiercely protective of those she loves.

There was simply no way she'd react well to River. Especially when she's invested so much into getting Donna and the Doctor together. Only they – or other extended family – could've kept her in check, but she was all alone. Nothing to guide her except the instincts and teaching she'd received thus far. And to top it off, she had the guilt of thinking that she might've killed her parents. How many of us would have the strength to handle – with any civility whatsoever – a person who's a total mystery and seems to represent the end of everything we'd hoped for in the face of all of that? She had to fill her father's shoes, and it's taking a toll on her in every way. It was all too easy for her to seek a scapegoat, and one could say that River was in the wrong place at the wrong time in this ficverse...

I freely admit that I have a lot of problems with River as a character, and that some stem from her representing the beginning of the end for Donna's time with the Doctor. Part of why I followed my muse's ideas and wrote the story onto this path was to try to develop some sympathy and empathy for a character that – to be honest – I don't really like. And it worked.

Kat Shadow, thank you for reminding me of something that I should've remembered to write about from the start. Please bear in mind that I've deliberately avoided hearing too many spoilers about Series 6 (some I could've _really_ done without hearing...), although I did use some in writing these chapters. As well as Series 5 spoilers. I hope you find that this chapter begins to redeem Jenny, for she's going to be on one _lengthy_ road to self-forgiveness; she has Ten's hyper-developed sense of guilt... and she's about to face that inheritance head-on...

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><p>CHAPTER TEN: DIE A WOMAN WITH GRIEVING<p>

_From Chapter Nine:_

__As River and Mr Lux fled, Jenny dug into her pockets, pulling out her father's Sonic and a collection of small ball-shaped objects – also ignoring the TARDIS screaming in her mind, ____**Don't do it, Jenny, don't do it!**____ – to work on. Good luck getting through Mum to do that... But why would you care about my fate? And wouldn't killing my Dad defeat the purpose?__

_Anita voiced the concern that no one else had. "_What about the Vashta Nerada?"

Frantically meddling with the balls with a few settings, Jenny sighed – and swallowed to keep her emotions from seeping into her voice. "I'm gonna seal Charlotte inside her little world, take everybody else away. The shadows can swarm to their hearts' content in their forests – assuming they're smart." Oh, God, I really don't know if I've caused irreparable harm to history...

"So you think they're just gonna let us go?" Curiosity mixed with fear.

"Best offer they were ever gonna get." She kept meddling. "Even my dad wouldn't have given them more than that." Oh, Dad... What would you have to say about my actions...? If only you'd found a way to safely grant me that time-sensing abilities that you've developed...

"You're gonna make 'em an offer?" Disbelief added to the mix.

Jenny heard the steps come a bit closer, and frowned. "I'm afraid I'm not inclined to make any kind of offer at all. You know what..." She looked up with another harsh glare, knowing what had happened – even though she'd kept quiet, to keep River and Mr. Lux from panicking – but not stopping her meddling. "I _really_ liked Anita. She was brave, even when she was crying, and she never gave in. And you ate her." She aimed the sonic, revealing the skull she knew was inside the helmet. "My father would have let that pass, though... as long as you let them pass." Mum would be horrified at how I'm talking, she sadly thought, but what else can I do? I can't trust them to keep their word, and I won't let them near my parents again...

The Vashta Nerada inside the suit paused a moment. "How long have you known?"

Jenny resumed her meddling. "I counted the shadows. You only have one now." She eyed the blinking neural relay. "She's nearly gone. Be kind," she ordered – knowing it was futile, but at least she could say she warned them...

"These are our forests," Skeleton Anita said. "We are not kind."

Forcing herself to draw upon everything she felt her parents would've done, Jenny was able to voice what she knew her Dad would've. "This is the only offer you'll get: I'm willing to let you have your forests," she said, finishing meddling with the balls and lowering her hands to her sides, "but you are giving me them. You are letting them go. You have five seconds to let Anita go, and accept."

She wasn't surprised to see shadows stretch from Skeleton Anita. "These are our forests. They are our meat."

Feeling colder than she'd ever thought possible, Jenny aimed the Sonic, blasting the shadows with the bright light. Skeleton Anita froze, the shadows vaporized, and Jenny could sense a flash of pain from the Vashta Nerada – which she ignored. Her whisper was lethal. "Don't play games with me! You just killed someone I liked, and that is not a safe place to stand. Not with someone who has nothing to lose. I'm the Daughter of the Doctor, and you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look him up, and know this: I don't share all of his scruples."

Skeleton Anita didn't answer immediately. So Jenny continued, "These balls I'm holding? They'll fill the Library with the same light if they sense even the slightest hint of you approaching a living person. That very light that's causing you pain, and I now know it will kill you with direct exposure. You saw what happened to those shadows that came from you. I'm releasing them into the Library." She threw them into the air near Skeleton Anita and they flew off on their own, separating into tinier versions along the way. "They'll multiply from the solar energy, covering the whole planet, and making it useable again to people one day. Now... Time's past up." She aimed the light higher, and Skeleton Anita promptly collapsed. Jenny lowered the Sonic and went to the terminal.

River rushed forward. She'd stopped when the blinding light was "Anita!" No!

"I'm sorry," Jenny snapped, hurrying to start the set-up, "she's been dead a while now. What are you doing back here? I don't have time to snap at you if you've come to rub my mistakes in my face!"

Watching the despair playing across the Time Lady's face, River knew her next actions were right, and was grimly determined to succeed. "Lux can manage without me," she said, ignoring the last line for the moment. "But you can't." She approached, Sonic in hand.

Jenny backed away. "What do you think you're doing, Professor? I'm trying to repair whatever I did-"

"_I'm_ going to make the sacrifice, Jenny," River announced, no trace of hesitation in her voice, "because I will not face your father and tell him that his precious girl killed herself because two of his potential, personal time-lines happened to converge on someone other than Donna Noble for a change!"

That froze Jenny from the inside out. "What?"

River stepped up to her. I'd try knocking her out, but I know her reflexes are better than mine. Even when mine are unencumbered. "My journal's words are clear again, and so are my memories. But there's a second set that's more vivid than what I originally remember. I now _remember_ you traveling with your father during my adventures with him, _and_ Donna, too. I think in my original time-line, you died on Messaline because you weren't quick enough to stop General Cobb from firing his weapon at your parents, and instead you took a bullet for them."

Jenny sucked in a breath, seeing how easily that could've happened.

"But you lived," River continued, frantically trying to get it out, "and your traveling with your father has been slowly changing the course of history. Especially mine. I'm _no_ threat to you, or your mother. Now, can we set this up?" She went to the strange chair next to the computer, and began messing with the wires.

The Time-Lady thought she'd pass out. But her hands flew across the terminal without her thinking about it... Her mind struggled to process what was now happening...

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Jenny was squatting in front of several wires, adjusting their settings. River still sat in the strange chair next to the computer, fiddling with another set of wires.<p>

"Autodestruct in five minutes," the computer voice announced again.

"I'm getting really sick of things being repeated," Jenny muttered.

River quirked a tiny smile as she continued working. "Me, too, kid. You know as well as I do that no one had a chance to survive this." She waved at herself and the chair.

Jenny nodded grimly, and sighed, finishing some more work. "Okay, once we finish this fiddling, all that will be left.. is to lower that weird head-covering, and connect those plugs..." She motioned to the ones in River's lap that were still being adjusted.

River nodded. "I'm timing it for the end of the countdown, there'll be a blip in the command flow. That way it should improve our chances of a clean download."

The Time Lady squirmed, feeling the influence of her Mum, Nan, and Great-Gramps float into her mind. None of them would be proud of my behavior today. "I guess I was a bit harsh on you, wasn't I?"

"Autodestruct in four minutes," the computer interjected.

River had to take a deep breath. This was a conversation she'd been trying to figure out how to have, and now the young Time Lady seemed in the right mindset to hear it. "You should know that I know the consequences of messing with the time-lines." Her voice was tight, controlled so she could complete the task – although she slowed down so she could focus on getting the words slowly out. "My parents...were separated by a crack in time itself."

Jenny's eyes widened, trying to figure out how that was possible.

"My father forgot who he was... My mother forgot that he'd ever existed... although there were clues that something was missing from her life..." River shivered, remembering her mother's behavior from that unnerving time before everything went to hell. "How I continued to exist is still a mystery to me... but eventually the Doctor fixed things. Everything was back in its proper place... Time reset – although they remembered that time that never was."

Jenny shuddered, trying to imagine her mother losing all her memories of the Doctor... Of always knowing that she was somehow less than she should be... and at a complete loss about what happened...

River's eyes went a bit absent as she recalled more about the past. "I should be furious with you over what's happened."

Swallowing, Jenny whispered, "So why aren't you...?"

"Autodestruct in three minutes."

Sighing through her nose, River explained, "I didn't realize until my memories reformed that you made more than one good point up there. I kept forgetting that every adventure, I worried that it would be the end. I should've realized that I _was_ relying on the idea that things would turn out fine, that I was taking risks that maybe I didn't need to take. But the moment that created the cracks... the moment that made my parents' separation happen... I might have had an unknowing hand in causing it."

Jenny gasped. "Oh, my God...!"

"I can imagine the guilt you were feeling when you saw their faces on that Node," River continued, quietly. "You wanted to protect your parents from someone you felt was a threat. A mystery. It's natural to do that for those you love. So if I'd been in your shoes," River finished with a knowing smile, "I might have reacted just as violently. If not worse." She motioned with her chin toward the Doctor's Sonic. "You finished?"

Jenny blinked, having forgotten what she was doing. "Oh!" She made one final adjustment, and put down the wires and the Sonic. "Now I am."

River sighed. "You know..." She let herself be lost for a moment in memories. "Funny thing is, this means – even in the other time-line, the one I remembered when I first came here – the Doctor has always known how I was going to die. All the time we'd been together, he knew I was coming here. And now you and Donna will always know it."

Jenny's hearts felt like they'd turned into the heaviest element known to Gallifreyan science, a name that didn't cleanly translate to English. "Quite the burden to carry," she whispered.

River felt a need to share a split memory, to try to lessen the younger woman's guilt. "Don't you worry about having to adjust to a new Doctor. The new time-line has the man _you_ know as the Doctor in it."

Jenny gasped. That's a _huge_ change to history!

"Just promise me..." River tried hard to let the images from the past that now had _not_ happened go. "That the three of you will one day take me and my parents to Darillium to see the singing towers. Oh, what a night that was!" Tears formed in River's eyes over the memories. "The towers sang, and you in particular cried."

"Because we knew," Jenny whispered, "from this moment right here, that it was your time to come to the Library. Oh, my God..." I can't imagine what that'll be like...

"Autodestuct in two minutes," the voice announced.

River nodded. "You wouldn't tell me or them why, but I suppose you knew – probably because of me telling you right now – it was my time. You even gave me a screwdriver that you'd been building for a while - that should've been a clue. It _should've_ been one in the previous time-line when _he_ did it." She tossed her Sonic to Jenny. Don't need it anymore...

Jenny starred at the two Screwdrivers, and at River's journal – resting off to the side. Her earlier instincts returned, and she had to say, "It's not too late-"

"There's nothing you can do," River sharply reminded Jenny. She can't be thinking those thoughts, not now!

"But I promised Dad that I wouldn't cause anyone's death," Jenny slowly said, "and – God and my parents forgive me – I had thoughts of pushing you into the shadows or forcing you to do this..."

River closed her eyes at the voiced proof of the anger from earlier. "If you'd die here, there's no telling how time might be rewritten again." I might ever have been born, for one... "That moment you and Donna asked about? She would've lost her memories of you and your father."

Jenny cried out incoherently, a hand covering her mouth.

"Yes," River acknowledged, "but you rewrote that. But not any more. _Not one more line!_ Don't you dare!" She paused a moment, and whispered, "It's not necessary anymore. Things will work for the better, I do know that. I accept that the loss of what had been is an acceptable price to pay for saving Donna Noble, the Most Important Woman in all of Creation."

What? Jenny's eyes lifted and couldn't move from River's face. She felt tears forming, building...

"It's OK," River consoled, deliberately misreading the stunned look, "it's not over for you. Your parents will soon have the means to protect her from a fate that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and I'm glad that she'll be spared from it." She grinned, not wanting to add anything else. "You've got all of that to come. You and your parents, time and space. Oh, how you'll love the running!" She shed a few tears, letting herself momentarily grieve for what was lost to her.

"River," Jenny whispered, feeling a sudden need – which _had_ to come from her dad – to know just what she'd done to this woman, to feel guilty over every possible thing, "did you know my dad's name?"

"Autodestruct in one minute," the computer intoned.

I know this knowledge will hurt, Jenny thought, but I just feel that I need to be in emotional pain, to pay a price for hurting someone else... "Because you acted like you knew so much about him..."

River thought a moment, but slowly nodded. "That was the first knowledge to vanish."

Jenny's eyes widened further, and her hearts forgot a few beats.

"Even then, when I was able to be such an important person to him," River continued, forcing the words out from her constricted throat, "I _always_ knew that there was someone else occupying his hearts. Someone he'd lost and never recovered from the pain... Now I know it was Donna. But he will _always_ have her with him now, and you as well. Take heart, Jenny." You'll make it up to me, she knew. I'd better leave the details to her...

That unleashed something inside Jenny, a need for knowledge. "River," she blurted, the words tumbling out like a waterfall, "if you've seen the new future for my Mum and Dad... What becomes of them? My friends and family tried to get them together, even tricked them into realizing their own feelings."

That, River thought, explains the awkwardness I saw... She saw the countdown getting close and drew the headpiece down.

"Autodestruct in ten seconds..."

"Should we have done it?" Jenny begged for the answer.

**"**...nine, eight, seven..." River picked up the cables as the count-down drew nearer...

"Please, River-!"

**"**Hush, now!" She has to wait... "Spoilers, kid..." She smiled tenderly at the girl who had to grow up far too fast...

"...three, two, one..."

At the last moment possible, River plugged together those two cables. Blinding white light hid her from Jenny's eyes, and the girl had to cover her face.

Moments later, she was still there, and the light was gone. Jenny pulled her hands away, and gasped. A skeleton rested inside the suit. She scrambled back against a pillar (the one that, in the other time-line, her father had been handcuffed to), overwhelmed – yet unable to look away. "Oh, my God... River..."

Moments later, she felt the TARDIS doing her own version of screaming with joyful relief. A different faint sensation – created by the cause of the Old Girl's reaction – in her head made her draw her knees in so she could rest her heavy head on them. "Mum... Dad... They're back in the Library. They're safe..." Her words were the barest whisper, coming out on gasping, sobbing breaths.

Some long moments later, Jenny got her crying under enough control to voice her thoughts – in the barest whisper. "So... We did it. We saved 4,024 people. But what about the cost...? What I did to River...?"

"Would she have done it if she didn't accept it?"

Jenny sucked in a breath, and looked to the Node, where the words came from. She slowly stood – because her mother and grandmother had taught her manners – to properly greet the face openly looking at her. She quickly wiped her tears, and cleared her throat. "Charlotte Abigail Lux, I presume?"

CAL smiled at her. "You're called Jenny, daughter of the Doctor and adopted daughter of Donna Noble. What's the rest of your name?"

Such a lovely girl... So sad she was dying... "On Earth, to anyone outside our immediate circle, I'm Jennifer Celeste Noble."

CAL contemplated that a moment, and then her smile widened in clear gratitude. "You've made the Library safe again, Jenny Noble. Those lights will keep the darkness at bay. One day, the darkness will be gone forever and the Library will be safe for everyone to use."

"That'll be in the distant future," Jenny demurred. "Who knows how long it'll take the Vashta Nerada to actually die if they keep trying to evade the lights?"

CAL frowned a bit. "Perhaps, but I'll be safe. Safe with my new friends."

Jenny frowned. "What new friends?"

CAL looked a bit smug. "I saved the four taken by the darkness. They're in my dreams now, and can be happy again."

It took a moment for that to sink in. "You were able to save them... Oh, my God! But..." Jenny thought about living within a computer. "But living your life in a set point, always in one stage of life and never moving forward..."

CAL's whole face went sad, but she seemed convinced she was right. "You can study anything you want to, be anywhere in the Library at a moment's notice, and you're always learning."

I'll give her that... In a way, it's better than the alternative...

"Besides," CAL continued, "we'll have all these books to enjoy. We can come up with so much while we're waiting for others to be able to visit again. Which I hope you'll do someday."

Jenny sighed, shoulders sagging as some tension flowed off her being. "Miss Evangelista... Proper Dave... Other Dave... Anita... Tell them I'm sorry I couldn't keep them from the pain."

CAL looked like she would nod if she could, and just smiled softly. "They know you did your best. They forgive you."

But I need to be able to forgive myself... She glanced at River's remains. "But you couldn't save her; you were all but dying."

A strange flicker crossed the girl's face. Regret, Jenny translated. "I wish I could've," Charlotte whispered. "I would've liked to hear her stories."

Then Jenny's eyes drifted back to the other Sonic. The one that was practically dead now. "Why?" She picked it up and scanned it with the other. "Why would we give her a screwdriver? Why would _any_ of us do that? That alternate future version of Dad had years to think about it, all those years to think of a way to save her, and what he did was give her a screwdriver! Why, if she was so special to him, would he do that?" The scan made her frown harder. "Wait, there was something in here before!" She pulled off a side of River's Sonic, and it showed an empty space. "What was in here? What could fit in-"

She cut herself off as her eyes drifted back up to River's remains. And they immediately went to the side of River's suit. She reached for the place that River had reached for on Miss Evangelista, and found a still glowing neural relay. "Oh, my God... He literally saved her."

"I'll keep her company," CAL promised, as if sensing the hesitation. "She and the others won't ever be lonely. I'm a clever girl, after all."

Jenny found a tiny smile. "One last adventure, River." She pulled off the relay, quickly inserted it into the dying Sonic, closed the cover, and put it up against a circuit. "One that'll last forever," she whispered, using the other Sonic to boost the signal, and watched as electrical signals flew up the visible circuits.

CAL smiled. "River Song has been saved."

And it's the first kind thing I ever did for her: giving her a retirement surrounding by every book she could possibly want for all eternity... Jenny felt the weight of the burden she would carry into the future. I don't know if I can let my parents know about all this... but how can I keep it from them...?

Needing a distraction, she picked up River's journal. "I know I probably shouldn't," she said to CAL, "but I need just a little look at the end. I can't help but wonder what's the last thing she wrote in here." She opened it to the last page, and flipped back one page, finding the beginning of the paragraph she saw, and she softly read aloud what she found:

"When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it will never end. But however hard you try, you can't run for ever. Everybody knows that everybody dies, and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark, if he ever, for one moment accepts it. Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Not today. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all. Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair, and the Doctor and Donna and Jenny come to call... everybody lives."

Jenny felt herself crying, and closed the book. She hugged it to her body, just for a moment. "Thank you, River. I'll try to be nicer next time. To be worthy of that trust and faith..." And she put the book and River's Sonic down together, resting by River's feet. "I'll leave these where no one can get them. Where her secrets will be safe from falling into the wrong hands. I can't keep them. I don't need any more spoilers in my life if I can help it..." She sighed, needing to move – feeling the restlessness that her father's current incarnation had bestowed upon her. "I'd better go find my parents," Jenny decided aloud, knowing that she had to leave CAL to her lonely world – virtual friends or no.

"Oh, Jenny?" Hearing CAL softly call her when she'd been sure the conversation was just about over, Jenny looked up and saw a guilty expression on the Node. "Please forgive me. I filled your parents' minds with a false history while they were inside my dreams. I didn't even know I'd done it..."

The Time-Lady's face widened. False memories... "There's nothing to forgive," Jenny whispered back, seeing the harsh truth. That's how none of them realized what was happening... "None of the people you saved could know where they really were. It'd be too much. I... I can't blame you for doing the same to my parents."

CAL's whole face drew graver. "But I... might have made them experience something they weren't ready for. I manipulated their memories into something else. I had no conscious control over it..." Tears were audible, although they couldn't fall from her computerized, statue face. "But they were so sweet together," she whispered, almost absently. "So happy..."

Wait a minute...! Jenny's eyes widened as her emotionally-overwhelmed brain tried to follow those thoughts. "What do you mean?"

"You do need to go help them," CAL suddenly said, and Jenny – with just enough experience with her father – could tell that the girl was closing herself off. "And make sure everyone gets out safely. Please apologize to your Mum and Dad for me, Jenny."

It had to be Donna's influence that enabled Jenny to see that to press for more details would be cruel to this young girl mind. She doubted her Dad would've had quite the awareness without first making things a lot worse for CAL. She reached out to caress the face, regardless of whether Charlotte Abigail Lux could feel it now. "Have safe dreams, Charlotte," she wished from the bottom of her hearts.

She got the sweetest smile she'd ever seen in return.

* * *

><p>Once Jenny was up in the Library proper again, sealing the gravity platform forever with the Doctor's Sonic, did she feel comfortable enough to spare a thought to what CAL said. "They were so sweet together," she repeated under her breath as she walked away, moving through some of the Returned. "What would a little girl mean by that? Was she watching their so-called lives on her television?"<p>

She pondered that, strolling away. It distracted her from the storm of tears that wanted to be unleashed. "If saving people within her dreams allowed CAL – or at least her inner workings – to know about their lives," she reflected on a whisper, needing to hear herself think out loud and yet not wanting anyone to overhear, "and then her databanks created realities based on the memories of the people, what did she mean by saying she manipulated Mum and Dad's memories?"

Her feet suddenly stopped, as she had a huge moment of clarity. "So sweet together," she whispered again, "so happy." It could only mean that, in the computer, they'd been... _together_ together...

Despite everything – especially what had passed between her and River, Jenny found a sudden lightness in her hearts. It drove her into a sprint toward the main areas, to go find out what happened – once she found her parents among the over four thousand revived visitors, of course... What barriers she couldn't just vault over, she used a gymnast's flip to overcome; running around them was too slow!

Her mind couldn't think about how this might have helped or hurt their efforts, however. Her hearts and her soul were desperately longing for a hug... The kind a scared little girl would get from Mummy and Daddy after a very bad dream...


	11. My Kindness Shall Incite Thee

**Author's Note**: Yay! I finished it sooner than I thought I would! Chapter 12 needs more work, but this one is as ready as it's gonna be. Yes, my peeps: it's the fluff you've all been waiting for...! Thank you for bearing with me. Just be prepared... There's still some darkness ahead, but anyone who watched New Who Series 4 knows that... (Sorry for reminding you. And now you will forget that you read that last line...)

* * *

><p>CHAPTER ELEVEN: MY KINDNESS SHALL INCITE THEE<p>

_From Chapter Seven:_

__Jenny nodded, pushed a lever and watched as her parents teleported away. She___ sighed in relief. "So, that's how you do it!" Now they're _both_ safe from _her_!_

The TARDIS was surprised to sense Donna and the Doctor teleporting into the Console Room, but not that there was danger. She hadn't wanted to go to the Library; she wanted them to deal with the awkwardness of seeing each other at a beach that wouldn't be discovered by any kind of people for hundreds of years.

But then something went wrong, and her too-stubborn humanoids both screamed in pain. The TARDIS tried to intervene, but they vanished.

Her whale song turned into a primal scream of unbearable agony...

* * *

><p>"Dad, the Library, it's on television now." Why don't they get it? I told them that Donna Noble and the Doctor had been saved. I don't know how I knew it, but I do. Why won't they listen? Why were they just concerned about my headache from just before I said it...?<p>

Her dad sighed. "How many times, darling? The Library is just your imagination."

He walked off to do something else, so she sighed and continued flipping channels. Each one showed a different part of the Library. One with those people fleeing the darkness. But she stopped flipping when she came across one showing an ambulance pulling up to a hospital. It was snowing, and the driver had to be careful. She watched in fascination as the crew rolled out the stretcher and she saw the soaked man lying on it. She gasped, "The Doctor?"

She kept watching, and a second stretcher was pulled out. She grew even more confused. "Donna?" The ginger was just as soaked as her companion... and missing a coat...

And then she saw who was waiting for them inside, and frowned. "Dr. Moon...?"

* * *

><p>These two will be the trickiest to integrate... Dr. Moon was all-too aware of the enormity of the task that CAL had presented him with. He had to guide them through the reality that CAL was creating at that very moment. Keeping them "unconscious" bought precious extra time to set it all up.<p>

Donna Noble on her own would have been easy to integrate. Humans were fairly easy to persuade, even if this one seemed extraordinarily observant. Dig a bit into her past, see what she'd desired, and build a life around that.

But the Doctor was a Time Lord, with a brain that was practically like CAL's. A Time Lord had no place in this Earth-based illusion. So he had to be convinced that his memories were nothing more than hallucinations stemming from an accident. But how to convince him of that? The very nature of his people meant that he would resist efforts to trick him.

So Dr. Moon and CAL needed something to distract him, something for him to focus on. Something to make him believe that he was a human man...

But, Dr. Moon reflected, we do have the perfect bait to reel the Doctor into the fantasy...

* * *

><p>Donna opened her eyes and blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings. She was sitting on a bed, in what looked like a hospital room. What am I doing here...? Hadn't I just been somewhere else..?<p>

He came to awareness slowly, feeling like the fog of war had multiplied itself indefinitely. So much he couldn't figure out... or even remember... Including his name...

She stood and turned her eyes toward one wall, feeling that something was important over there. Or someone. They rested on the other bed's occupant, and she froze. It was a man with brown locks that looked like they needed a lot of product to be remotely tamed – although some part of her questioned whether the end result would look good or just oily. A pale face that maybe needed some more sun, but that might grow on you – almost like a rash, her sarcastic side idly thought. And _thin_. He wasn't like one of those men you saw in the vids from concentration camps, not at all, but he could use some extra meat on his bones.

She couldn't remember ever seeing him before. So why did he seem so familiar...? Like someone she trusted...? And why, she asked herself, does the word "doctor" keep popping up from looking at him...?

He finally opened his eyes, and saw that he wasn't alone. A woman stood by the other bed in the room – which looked rather comfortable for a hospital, he vaguely noticed – and his gaze fixed on her. The most vibrant ginger hair he'd ever seen, with soft waves – clear even with the ponytail that restrained them – that he suddenly wanted to run his fingers through. Pale skin with freckles, but just the right amount – wasn't sure why he thought that, but he did. The jim-jams she wore gave hints that she was a curvy woman, who wasn't too thin. The last thing that struck him were her blue eyes, which seemed to see right through to who he really was.

Did she know who he was...? And who was she to him...? I want to know more of her...

They both startled when the door opened, and a dark-skinned man came through. They both knew he had to be a physician, even before he introduced himself. "Ah, finally awake, Mr. John Smith. I'm Dr. Moon. I've been overseeing your care since you were admitted."

John Smith...? It sounded kind of right... and kind of off at the same time. "What – What happened?"

"You had an accident while helping protect several children on the banks of the Thames, just outside London's outskirts." Dr. Moon kept his voice calm, matter-of-fact. "You were accidentally knocked unconscious and fell in. Ms. Noble here was nearby and pulled you out just in time. I've been concerned because you only just fully woke. You've been in and out of awareness for a week."

"John" suddenly had flashes of helping some children escape from something rushing toward them, but nothing more. Although he had an image of... Ms. Noble... leaning over him, evidently having carried out first aid, and looking like a wet ginger angel.

Donna had flashes of seeing a man – John, she now knew – fall in when he hit his head pushing a child out of harm's way, of throwing her coat off to dive in, and struggling to bring the unexpectedly heavy man to the surface. And of him coming to briefly, and staring in awe at her before passing out again. She had to ask, when she noticed her state of dress, "I'm in hospital clothes! Was I admitted too?"

Dr. Moon nodded, very measured. "Yes, Donna. It was a very cold day, and you threw off your heavy coat to dive in to save him. Apparently you get cold very easily, so you actually had almost as bad a case of hypothermia as John did – despite less exposure."

Donna looked over her clothes again. "Why am I here instead of in my own room?"

John's eyes went back to Donna. She... doesn't like me...? He felt himself sink deeper into the bed at the idea.

Dr. Moon smiled. "You woke after only a day, but required considerable care. You asked about how he was as soon as you remembered what happened."

Something flickered into Donna's awareness, the sense that she did remember. "Oh! I forgot! I... I wanted... No, _needed_ to see that he'd be all right." I can't explain why...

Confusion pulled through his mild headache – which he didn't remember having until Dr. Moon mentioned the head injury. John wondered why he felt so... completely delighted... when she said she needed to check on him. "Sorry, but... I can't remember being introduced."

An odd smile was part of the answer. "John Smith of Southend-on-Sea, this," he gestured in a small way with his chin, "is Donna Noble of Chiswick."

Their eyes met again, and there was a beat of silence. Then, near simultaneously, they both said, "I feel that I remember you from somewhere else."

"Yes," Dr. Moon said slowly, controlling every syllable coming out of his mouth. He spoke to both, but his eyes focused on the man as he added, "And then, you both forgot."

Both started, as if shocked, and Donna's eyes came back to Dr. Moon. "Oh! Dr. Moon, um... is... Mr. Smith going to be okay?"

John blinked. What just happened...? What did he just say...? Although Donna's voice – especially laced with concern – was too distracting for him to focus on the questions.

Dr. Moon nodded, again in a measured way. "He'll need to stay another few days, to be on the safe side. He's had some strange hallucinations since his admission, and he must have said some of them when you rescued him, as you have had strange dreams throughout your time here. But he should be able to go back to work before long."

I'm still not sure that's my name, he thought, but I guess I could like it coming from her lips... His eyes turned back to look at the woman who was making his insides feel all gooey. A woman who made it hard for him to remember there was someone else in the room... "Donna?"

She turned back, surprised. "What?"

He couldn't stop the words from coming out. "You have the loveliest ginger hair I've ever seen." It felt like the truth, and he wanted to keep those eyes on him.

Donna felt her face trying to turn the same shade as her hair. "This?" She fingered some loose strands at her temples. It was all pulled back into a ponytail, so he wasn't seeing how much trouble it could be. "This has been the bane of my existence all my life. The other kids teased me mercilessly."

John's eyes narrowed just slightly. "Then they were completely stupid. Because I bet you were as lovely a child as you are a lady."

Donna's lips formed a soft, almost shy smile without her knowing it. "Well," she murmured, ducking her head, "I suppose you're kind of cute... for a skinny boy." Well, he was more than cute, but she didn't admit to that so quickly!

"Oi!" But he somehow didn't feel too offended. She _might_ just like him, after all...

She looked up with a laugh, and froze. As he smiled at her, Donna found she couldn't look away. What a lovely smile... and I could lose myself in the depths of those eyes... Oh, I want to take that sadness away...

* * *

><p>Charlotte was fascinated. What was this reality they were experiencing? And why did they seem so awkward around each other and yet so completely... in love...? She curled her feet under her, settling in to enjoy the viewing.<p>

* * *

><p>He was working on a very strange computer, and Donna was at his side. They were both in suits – his a pinstriped brown with a blue shirt underneath, hers a simpler black with a burgundy top. They both blinked at the problem before them, and shared a glance. Donna voiced her confusion. "Weren't we just in the hospital?"<p>

"I know the feeling," John replied, pausing to stare the the strange tool he was using. "But here we are, working on some... bug in the system. Something that's keeping it running when it shouldn't be."

Her fingers grabbed something on a chain. "Isn't that what we're looking for? I'm not sure what it is-"

"But it's what I needed to find," he finished. I don't know how I know it, but it just is! He accepted it from her, and they couldn't explain why they felt sudden glee over their success. John exhaled, feeling an odd tension in his chest. "I... I don't remember how we got here, but I do know this... I've never felt so happy... or at peace... as I do with you at my side."

Donna blushed, and words tumbled out before she could stop them. "Well, I've never felt so valued or happy before I met you. So I guess we're even." She felt her breath catch as something else came to mind. "I can't believe I almost turned this down..."

His heart sunk as a memory of her nervous reaction to his offer came to him. "I was ready to do anything to persuade you to come with me," he breathed.

Seeing the intensity of his eyes, Donna couldn't stop herself from admitting, "I realized just in time that I would've regretted it for the rest of my life."

They exchanged an inexplicably soft look...

* * *

><p>Charlotte giggled. "They're cute together. What'll happen next?"<p>

* * *

><p>They stood side-by-side, staring at the ruins of a burned-out home. The family of four that they'd saved stood closer in, clinging to each other as everything they had lay burned or washed away. They vaguely remembered more families losing their homes to the blaze, that lives were lost. But this family kept their attention...<p>

"That poor family," Donna whispered, not daring to let them overhear. They were a proud group, she somehow knew, and saying anything within earshot would be an insult. She was still crying over how close that family had come to dying...

John nodded. "We got to them in time, thanks to you and your stubbornness." He sighed, remembering how her tears had persuaded him that they had to take action since it might come too late for the arson victims otherwise. "You were right that we had to help them."

She dipped her head, remembering how in their attempts to help people while they waited for the fire department, they'd nearly gotten trapped themselves. "I nearly got us killed, too. Stopping that explosion from happening – to keep the fire from spreading – felt like condemning a few to save many." Because a few people hadn't made it; some were caught in the middle, and others gave their lives to protect their families.

He shook his head. "The part about the whole thing seeming like a no-win scenario is, I'm afraid, a bit true. But," he continued, looking pointedly at her, "the rest isn't what I remember."

She gave him a what-the-hell-do-you-mean-by-that look.

He managed a hint of his usual, almost manic grin – laced with fondness for the woman he was talking with. "I remember a woman reminding me that people in danger need help, and that same woman sharing in the effort more than I had any right to expect or hope for." I can't believe you don't think you're amazing...

Donna managed a tiny smile. Why does he like to say that I'm brilliant? I mean, I like that someone feels that way, but it's... surreal. So she aimed for levity in her voice. "Feel better having someone with you to solve things?"

John's answering smile was a bit bigger, a little warmer. "There's no one I'd rather have at my side. Or," he quickly added, panicking as he remembered how Donna had said she was _no-one's_ companion but a partner, thank-you-very-much, "be at the side of."

She couldn't help it. He was too cute trying to back-peddle when he thought he'd unintentionally insulted her and might get slapped. So she giggled, struggling to keep it in.

He couldn't help looking at her the whole time. Blimey, she's amazing...

Donna finally chose to playfully slap him on the arm. "You're daft, absolutely daft! You know that, right, John Smith?"

John's awed smile grew a bit grave – pushing aside that feeling that that name wasn't the one she should be calling him by. "And you don't give yourself enough credit when it's due, Donna Noble." But he couldn't keep her gaze any longer, and broke it off with a blush. Why can I hear her voice telling me that she _just_ wants to travel with me...?

Donna felt her heartbeat quicken as she saw his face turn an interesting shade of pink. Oh, why does he have to be so adorable when he's embarrassed?

* * *

><p>Charlotte pondered what she was watching. "What did they really mean by condemning a few to save many...? I hope they don't think too hard about it." She wanted to see more of their oh-so-obvious bond, and where it took them. "They're... It's like they're afraid of pushing things too far... But why? They're good together."<p>

* * *

><p>They were standing in the snow. She was nicely bundled in a thick coat with fur-like lining on the hood. He had a coat that looked more like a trench-coat, but he wasn't as cold as he though he should be. Maybe the wooly hat covering his head and ears was doing the trick. "Looks like we saved the day again," John commented, watching the crowd down the hill celebrating the return of lost family members.<p>

Donna sighed. "Modern-day slavery in England itself... Hard to believe..." She blinked as something tried to come to mind, but wasn't quite there.

John noticed her frowning, and his brows drew together. "What is it?"

She tried to find the words to explain her feelings and thoughts. "I... remember that they were singing. This song of so much grief and misery about their captivity. But I can't remember what it sounded like. Nor can I remember what they sang when we freed them."

Memories of both tried to come to him, but it was like they'd already slipped his awareness. Damn that head injury, he thought. How can it be keeping me from remembering things that _just_ happened to me?

Donna noticed his frown, and the distant look that accompanied it. She'd come to associate it with thinking about his accident and the difficulty of recalling much of his life before that. He needs a distraction, she thought, and don't we have just the thing around to do the trick... She quickly knelt and gathered some snow together. "Hey," she playfully called, stepping a little back.

He turned, and got a snowball to the chest. "Oi!" I can't remember anyone doing that to me!

She laughed, bright and clear. "We saved the day, John. Don't you think we should enjoy this winter wonderland?"

She's so beautiful when she's playful, John marveled silently. He couldn't find his voice.

Donna felt uneasy about his stare, even as it made her insides turn to jelly. She had to crack a joke. "Just as long as you don't sing any carols."

That got his attention. "Oh, I can't have anyone making fun of Christmas! Not even you!" He grabbed some snow, but not before she sent another one – a tiny one – to his head as a lark.

They were soon laughing themselves sick as they behaved no better than little kids on an unexpected school holiday.

* * *

><p>Saving people... Songs of pain and of joy... Charlotte wondered just what they thought they were hearing, but hoped they wouldn't remember. "It'd be bad if they knew," she whispered with a certainty that she couldn't understand. Good to see them having fun, though!<p>

* * *

><p>Donna laughed in delight as she parked the car outside John's home. "Thanks for the day at the race track! It was so good to remember how to drive a stick-shift, John," she gushed. "I've been wanting to go to Silverstone for years, but never had the chance!"<p>

John couldn't help but share in the laughter; his ginger's amusement was infectious. "I like teaching you about all sorts of things." Wait, he suddenly thought, _my ginger_?

"But to let me re-learn on your precious sports car?" Donna shook her head, still marveling as she turned off the engine. "You must trust me quite a bit; blokes are usually very sensitive about who handles their things – especially a classic blue convertible."

That distracted him, and he let the concern slide for the moment. "I told you," he exclaimed indignantly, "I'm not a bloke!"

"Trust me: you are!" She gave him her best you-don't-see-it-do-you look, but spared him from the exact explanation. He seemed a bit sensitive about it for some reason. "Taking me to the race track is one thing, but then to bet on who drove back here? You couldn't believe that I beat you!" She laughed over the memory of his shock when he realized that she had finished ten seconds _faster_.

He groaned as images flooded his mind. "You weren't joking when you said you could learn quickly."

"Oi, Best Temp in Chiswick, remember?" She feigned offense, knowing his ego had just been a little bruised. "Of course I'd be able to take all your tricks for fuel efficiency and master them! All the boys assumed a girl couldn't, but at least you're man enough to know better."

Why do I have a recollection of saying something like, I'm not exactly a man, Donna? John pushed the thought aside; the here and now was more important. Besides, it seemed to invite questions he – for some reason – didn't want to hear the answers to... "Okay, I wasn't prepared for how quickly you'd catch on, but I am proud of you." When he caught a hint of her preparing to scoff, he sighed. "Why won't you believe me when I say you're brilliant?"

Donna squirmed. It invited questions that she felt her mind resisting. Instead, she aimed for blitheness. "Maybe the same reason you don't believe that you're a bloke. I still can't believe you can fit all that equipment in the trunk and still find anything you need at a moment's notice!"

John couldn't remember how he'd done it, but he could recall stunning her with it that first time she rode in the car. Maybe a subject change was a good idea... "Well," he said, trying to not sound smug, "to borrow a phrase from America, just call me MacGyver."

"Ooh!" Donna's eyes sparkled as she saw a way to tease him. "Now he would've come up with a great solution to that carbon monoxide problem!" She tossed a sly grin as she opened the door and got out.

"Oi!" His ire flared and he all but jumped out and rushed to her side. "Are you saying a fictional character is better than I am? Some of his fixes don't actually work!"

Donna just laughed. "Aw... Is my partner feeling insecure because of Angus?" She ruffled his hair like a child's. "Don't be. You're here, he's not. Besides, and I say this at the risk of inflating your already big ego, it wouldn't be as much fun working with a secret agent as it is with you."

John couldn't remember ever turning that flush that quickly. He couldn't think in the face of her playful teasing. All he could do was clear his throat and rub his neck nervously.

Time to stop the teasing, Donna knew instinctively. She held out the keys. "Here you go."

His free hand came up and pushed the key away and closed her palm around it. "No, that's yours."

Donna blinked. "What? You said this was your spare!"

He grinned. "And since we are partners, and your driving is just as good as mine, if not at times better, it makes sense for you to have your own key. We drive this car all the time anyway." It made perfect sense to him. He did try to ignore that the instinctive response was motivated by a wish that she'd always be in his life...

Awed and delighted with a clear sign of trust, Donna threw her arms around him for a big hug. "I bloody love you," she exclaimed without thinking when he returned the squeeze.

And she couldn't feel too embarrassed about it. I say all sorts of things around him, right?

John couldn't help but have one thought: Could she possibly mean that in more than one way...?

* * *

><p>Charlotte laughed at their expressions. "Don't you both see it?" Never had a grown-up romance been this entertaining, or exasperating. "Go on! Kiss already!"<p>

* * *

><p>They suddenly found themselves at an outdoors party. She had a sidecar in her hand, he a clear soda. The change was jarring enough that Donna had to voice her thoughts. "What are we doing here," she asked, noticing she was wearing a flapper dress that looked... rather flattering on her. "And where did I get this dress?"<p>

John had been trying to figure out why they were there when Donna's words drew his attention to her dress. And left him tongue-tied. The color was perfect with her complexion, the lines attracted the right attention to her shapely body, and the neckline made him want to pull her away from the males who were ogling her from across the room – all so he could kiss and lick her lovely neck in total privacy.

The desire was leaving him breathless, unable to think. So what's stopping me...? It's not a fear of her slapping me...

When he didn't answer, Donna looked up. "Oi-" And cut herself off at seeing the raw desire – and so much more! – in his eyes. "Oh... This... This is..." She had to hunt for the right word to describe her jumbled emotions. And they wouldn't come. God, why do I feel like I'm on fire from the inside on out?

"I know," John whispered, suddenly desperate to convey what he thought was holding him back. "I don't know why, but... it's like I'm... afraid that something bad will happen if I don't act on this. I can't make myself do anything about it, but..." He just knew his voice had never sounded so gravely or low as it did when he blurted, "I don't want those other men even looking at you – period."

Why doesn't that possessiveness worry me...? Instead, she whispered back, upon noticing a group of females – including some rather brazen-seeming ogling blondes – on the other side of the room openly admiring him, "Oh, blimey! I won't let those floozies get too close!" She couldn't stop herself from pulling his head in for a hard snog – dropping her glass in the process.

What-? His own glass fell, crashing and breaking against Donna's and the ground. But John's mind stopped thinking. Except for how good it felt to be so close to Donna... and how it felt like he'd just found _home_...

Feeling his lips against hers... was the closest Donna felt she'd ever come to finding heaven on Earth. As she kept snogging him, trying to stake her claim so those blondies would stay away, she swore she needed him more and more... until she had to let him go because her lungs suddenly burned for air more than for him.

When their lips separated, John gasped, but it wasn't from the need for air. So wonderful... Why did I even fight against going here...?

He's dazed... Donna, although her heart was fluttering like a hummingbird, panicked over the thought that he didn't like it because he didn't really respond. "Oh, my God, I've ruined everything-"

But hearing her disparage herself was enough. He drew her right into his arms and kissed her tenderly – unconsciously leaning them over in a rather romantic pose...

In her living room, Charlotte laughed and clapped her hands. "They got over their fears!"

Meanwhile, John and Donna lost all track of time, and forgot all about the people whose presence had pushed them over the edge. There was nothing except the feel of being in each other's embrace.

When the need for air threatened to overwhelm, their lips finally separated. All they could do was look into each other's bewildered eyes – and see the other's love burning bright for them. Donna barely managed to convey a burning question: "You want this?"

"Oh, yes," John whispered, unable to believe that such a woman had come into his life – and equally desperate to keep her in it. But he wasn't sure quite how to say it. Instead, he vowed, "Donna, if it takes the rest of my days, I will make sure you see how special you are."

Donna blushed, and laughed – beaming over that smile she adored. "Gorgeous, talks as much as I do, devoted to me, and completely bonkers. What am I going to do with you...?"

* * *

><p>Suddenly, John entered his home, carrying Donna over the threshold – her arms gently looped around his shoulders, a bouquet dangling from one hand. He was in a morning suit, she in a wedding dress. Her hair flowed under her veil. In the backs of their minds, they heard bells ringing. But they couldn't take their eyes off each other.<p>

He paused after managing to close the door with his foot – and letting Donna reach back to lock it. "Welcome home, Mrs Noble."

She giggled. "I can't believe you wanted to take my name." She had to kiss him; the abundance of love in his eyes just drew her to him.

He slowly lowered her back to her feet, unable to carry her when just her lips on his did amazing things to his whole body. "I can't explain it, but I feel no attachment to the name 'Smith.'"

Donna beamed, a bit grateful. "Well, with so many John Smiths hovering around, I'm glad I'm not answering to 'Mrs. Smith.'" Then she looked down at her gown, as if seeing it for the first time. Which she knew she hadn't. Except... "Why do I suddenly feel like I've worn this before...? It's like I was planning another wedding before the accident." She shuddered, unable to imagine ever having wanted to marry someone other than her daft skinny boy.

John couldn't explain the rush of emotions at the thought of her being with another. He had to change the subject, and pulled her sharply against him. "Have I told you that you're so beautiful in that dress...?"

She blushed at the intensity of his adoring stare – laced with a smoldering fire that made her shiver. How can his voice hold so many sinful promises...? "No," she whispered, shivering as an inferno spontaneously formed inside her.

He wasn't sure why all the delightful sensations felt a _bit_ strange, but he was no in mood to stop and think about it. Leaning in closer, he whispered, "Know what I'm thinking about doing to that dress?"

Her blush faded, replaced by a desire she couldn't see past. "Probably what I'm thinking about doing to that suit..."

He growled low in his throat as their lips drew together of their own accord... her hands trying to get under his shirt as he practically bent her back over a handy table, nearly knocking over a lamp in his eagerness to find the zipper on her dress...

* * *

><p>Charlotte gasped, and made a move to change the channel... Only the image changed before she saw anything she shouldn't. Dr. Moon was sitting in what appeared to be Donna and the Doctor's living room, looking over a photo album. One of Donna in a hospital bed – with the Doctor sitting behind her, an arm around her tightly – holding twin babies that she'd clearly just delivered appeared on screen. Both looked absolutely exhausted, but it didn't take away from the utter radiance of their smiles.<p>

Then she saw the Doctor – in the same linen shirt he was wearing in the picture, jeans, and trainers – was gently and lovingly shooing the twins – who looked about five or six years old – from playing too close to the couch – where Donna – in a blue shirt, darker slacks, and a comfortable pair of stylish flats – and Dr. Moon were sitting.

* * *

><p>"Come on," John exclaimed at the exuberant Joshua and Ella. "Stop it! Take it outside if you're going to be noisy, or keep with quiet games! Your mum and I have a visitor." The twins apparently decided that being around Mummy and Daddy was more important; they settled down on the floor with some kits. John smiled, ruffling Joshua's dark locks and then briefly stroking Ella's ginger – Yes, he'd cheered on seeing her that first time, there is a God! – ones.<p>

Donna sighed as John walked back to the couch. "It's like they don't know how to calm down sometimes." She smiled at her husband as he sat and wrapped his arm around her. It seems so natural, she thought, for us to have some physical contact... "Just like their father."

John snorted, knowing she was teasing. "You do a good job of calming us all."

This worked better than I thought possible. Dr. Moon observed, "You've done so much in seven years, Donna and John."

"Ah," Donna lightly scoffed, "sometimes it feels more like 70." Then her mind drifted a moment, "Mind you, sometimes it feels like no time at all."

"I know," John added. "I feel the same way, but I don't care anymore."

Donna's eyebrows bounced at that. "Why?"

Dr. Moon was also very interested in the answer. This will determine how well CAL's actions worked.

John smiled fondly at his wife. "Because it feels like, for the first time in my life, I can relax and be myself. No pretending to be something I'm not. I'm now just a man with a great life, and even more wonderful people in it."

Donna forced tears back over the emotions in his eyes. She just play-poked him in the chest. "Daft man," she said, giving him a sweet kiss anyway.

When she pulled back, John took more pleasure than he would ever admit to when she met his eyes. I know she can tell what I'd do if we didn't have company – and the twins – present.

Time to leave. Dr. Moon rose, drawing them to their feet. "Can I just say," he amiably said, "what a pleasure it is to see you fully integrated?"

_Suddenly, Dr Moon became fuzzy and then disappeared. In his place stood the fuzzy image of a young blond woman – whose face had haunted Donna and John's minds. It instantly startled both – making him pull her against him._

_"_No," the blond said, "the signal's definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through." She suddenly looked in their direction, and her eyes widened as she seemed to see them! "Mum! Dad!"

But she disappeared again. Dr. Moon appeared in her place, looking as solid and real as he had before. "Oops, sorry." He smiled as if he'd just let out a loud noise. "Mrs. Angelo's rhubarb surprise. Will I never learn?"

Donna drew back against John in shock. "Jenny! I saw Jenny!"

"I did, too!" John drew Donna behind him, instinctively protecting her from danger.

"Yes, you did, Donna and John." Dr. Moon concentrated again, deeply. "And then, you forgot."

Suddenly, Donna's concern vanished, like it'd never been there. "Dr Moon!" Wait, did I forget he was here again? "Oh, hello! Shall I make you a cup of tea?" Without waiting for an answer, she hurried out of the room, adding, "I'll bring one for you, too, John!"

John blinked rapidly, eyes first following Donna and then turning back to Dr. Moon. "But I swear I-"

"You hallucinated again, John." The calm response was immediate, measured. "First time in a long while, so I wouldn't be concerned."

John tried to process that. He swore he, too, saw the girl who had seemingly been where Dr. Moon was standing. If I'm imagining her, he thought, then what triggered it? And why does she call us Mum and Dad...?

Donna returned, carrying three cups on a tray. She knew she was pressing her luck to bring three hot cups by hand alone anywhere. "Here we are, Dr Moon."

John looked back to accept his, ready to ask her about what happened. But Ella ran from the corner where she and Joshua were playing, clay figures in her hands. "Mummy, Daddy, I made you!"

"Oh, that's nice, Ella." But Donna paused when she noticed a strange missing detail on each doll. "Where're the faces?"

Ella shrugged, acting like her father. "I don't know."

John frowned. It doesn't seem like her to leave out the details... "Dr, Moon," he started as he turned, "should we-?"

Donna startled at the same moment. She put the cups down numbly. "Where's Dr Moon? Did he leave?"

"But he was right there!" John turned to her, but wasn't reassured by her equally baffled expression.

She shook her head at the impossible nature of what evidently happened. "Just a second ago?"

He nodded. "Yep. You must have passed him."

"Well," Donna demanded, a little bemused, "then why didn't he say goodbye?" She went to the window, not surprised when her husband followed closely.

They both expected to see Dr. Moon outside somewhere, but, instead, they both froze. "Why," John exclaimed, "would a woman go around looking like Queen Victoria? And what's with that veil over her face?" As soon as he said it, the name of the monarch made something itch inside his mind. But whatever it was stayed maddeningly hidden. Then he felt Donna shudder a little, and he had to hug her. "You all right?"

"Yeah." I'm not sure why she's making me so... something... "Yeah, I'm fine, it's just..." She tried to dismiss it.

John gently guided her to face him within the circle of his embrace. "Just?"

She sighed and hugged him back. "Nothing." She took a deep breath, and gave him a comforting kiss. She meant it to be quick, but few times did that happen. It was like they needed the comfort they could find in each other. When they parted slightly, he raised an eyebrow in query, and she shrugged. "It's been a long day, that's all. I'm just tired."

* * *

><p>Suddenly, they were sitting on the bed together, holding hands. He was in blue jim-jams, she in a purple nightgown. Her pulled back hair was now loose.<p>

John blinked. Weren't we just...? "You OK?" He had to know; it felt like the most important thing.

Donna felt equally confused. "I said I was tired, and..." A look of comprehension passed over her face as images fluttered into her mind. "And we put the kids to bed, and we watched television."

"Why," he quietly asked after a beat, "can't I remember that? I should remember it!" He clutched her hand unconsciously.

"Oh..." She got onto her knees so she could straddle him and pull his head to rest over her heart. He was so surprised that she freed her other hand to hug him around his shoulders, and his arms wrapped around her waist – clutching her to him. "You're not the only one who has those moments, John," she reminded him as she massaged his scalp through his hair. "Sometimes I can't even remember my childhood. But we can't let it consume us."

John sighed, feeling a lot of tension rush out of his body and into the ether in the face of her touches. "I know, Donna, I know. I just..." He lifted his head, needing to see her eyes – and grateful when she tilted her head to look questioningly at him. He raised one hand to cup her cheek – his fingers unconsciously tangling in her loose hair. "I don't like this fog it sometimes feels like I'm living in, but if it's the price I pay to be with you, then I'll gladly learn to live with it. Because I can't imagine not being your husband."

Donna's eyes watered. There's something about looking into his eyes... She swallowed to free her voice from her tightened throat. "I can't imagine what it'd be like to go back to... whatever my life was before now that I've known you. I feel like I was shouting at the world before, but now I have someone who listens, who cares about what I think. So the feeling's mutual, love."

Once again overwhelmed, John felt a need for actions rather than words. So his hand slightly adjusted to draw her into a kiss, and Donna's eyes fluttered closed in anticipation of... quite a bit of fun...

But both froze when they heard a noise. That, Donna thought, sounds like the front door letterbox! "Was that a letter?"

John frowned hard, also looking in that direction. He quickly glanced at the clock. "It's midnight." He motioned for her to get up so he could, too. More than a little irritated, he grumbled, "Who drops letters in the middle of the night?" He managed to not storm over to the window, but he did move to see if he could spot the person.

Donna stuck to his side, and then they both saw the woman in the black dress. She seemed to be waiting. "Shall we go and see what it is," Donna asked.

John nodded, and they quickly – and quietly – rushed to the front door, holding hands again. Both uneasy over what could be happening.

Sure enough, there was a letter. Slipped through the mail-hole. They exchanged another confused look, and he picked it up carefully. Opening it, he read the contents: "'Dear Donna and the Doctor, the world is wrong. Meet me at your usual playground, two o'clock tomorrow.' What the-? How can she know about my hallucinations? I thought only you and Dr. Moon knew!"

Donna took the letter and hurried to a side window, pushing the curtains aside enough to see the woman walk away. She turned back to John, shaking her head. "Nutter."

John nodded. "Do we want to know what she's up to?" Though I don't think I really need to ask; she's _always_ been up for investigating...

In her flat, Charlotte sucked in a breath. "Don't go," she whispered, pleading at the screen. "Please don't go." I'm not sure why, she thought, but it'll be very, very bad! "You're happy! Don't go!"


	12. Nothing in the World So Well As You

**Author's Note**: If any chapter will make you want to throw things at me, it's this one. Those of you who watched series 4 have known this was coming... I only hope you find it more moving than the original. And how excuse me while I fight my Muse over the editing details of the final chapter...

* * *

><p>CHAPTER TWELVE: NOTHING IN THE WORLD SO WELL AS YOU<p>

Donna and John arrived at the playground, holding each other's hand with the children surrounding them. She spotted the woman first. She was sitting on a bench, on the other side of the playground – that veil still concealing the face. "All right, you two," she told the twins, "off you go, no fighting." Ever eager, the two ran off.

Hand in hand, Donna and John slowly strolled around the park, warily eying the woman as they approached her. "Any idea what she might mean," Donna asked him.

John took a deep breath. "None, but I feel like I should. And I don't understand it." Nor do I understand why I'm wanting to push the thoughts to the side...

Sensing another moment of memory trouble, Donna squeezed his hand in comfort. She couldn't help but also admire him in his jeans, leather jacket (which made him look, to her, hot in and of itself), and a gray t-shirt that proclaimed, "The truly educated never graduate." Daft skinny boy, she thought for what felt like the thousandth time, how _can_ you be so sexy...?

John felt her gaze on him, and shot her a cheeky grin. I'll repay you for giving me that saucy look in a playground...

Watching them approach, Miss Evangelista clasped her hands more tightly together. This has to work... Even though they're clearly enthralled by the fiction, they have to see the truth once they're presented with enough proof.

When they reached her, Donna sat beside the woman, and John plopped himself carefully beside herself. "We got your note last night," Donna said without preamble. "'The world is wrong', what's that mean?"

"No," said the woman in a melodic voice, but filled with a firmness that sounded at odds with the underlying sound, "you didn't."

John interjected, "I'm sorry, what?" Why does her voice sound familiar...?

They have to know, Miss Evangelista reminded herself. They can't suffer the manipulation any longer. "You didn't get my note last night," she continued. "You got it a few seconds ago. Having decided to come, you suddenly found yourself arriving. That is how time progresses here, in the manner of a dream."

The couple exchanged a look, of puzzlement and... a hint of something else trying to claw its way to the surface. Especially to John, over the word "time"...

It's close, Miss Evangelista sensed, to the surface. They should just need the right prompting. "You've suspected that before," she said to the one who she felt would be easier to convince, "haven't you, Donna Noble?"

Donna blinked rapidly. "How do you know us?"

Be gentle... "We met before, in the Library. You were kind to me, Donna. I hope now to return that kindness to both you and the Doctor."

"Your voice..." Donna whispered, voicing the strange sensations that the voice triggered in her mind. "I recognize it."

"So do I," John noted, just as softly. Where have I heard it before? In my time before the accident? It must be from there! She has to be a bit off kilter...

"Yes, you do." This is promising... "I am what is left of Miss Evangelista."

Flashes came into both of their minds. Those of a beautiful young, dark-haired woman who was shunted aside for her lack of intelligence, and then of a skeleton in a suit identical to what the woman was wearing. Both felt their hearts clench, though neither was quite sure what it meant. John in particular wanted to push it out of his consciousness.

Miss Evangelista continued, seeing the flickers of memory burn briefly in their eyes, "I suggested we meet here because a playground is the easiest place to see it, to see the lie."

"What lie?" John tensed, pulling Donna closer to him. What am I suddenly afraid of...? Why should her words fill me with dread...?

"The children," Miss Evangelista stressed, "look at the children."

"Why do you wear that veil?" Donna did wonder, based on those flashes. But she was also trying to change the subject; John's obvious tension needed to be handled – and holding his hand was clearly not enough. "If I had a face like yours, I wouldn't hide it."

I hate it when she denigrates her looks, John thought. The comment, however, brought more images into his mind's eye...

Miss Evangelista found Donna's statement comforting. "You remember my face, then?" Good that someone does... "The memories are all still there - the Library, the girl you were traveling with, me. And his life as the Doctor. You've both just been programmed not to look."

"Sorry," Donna said, shaking her head, "but... you're dead. We saw your skeleton..." At least I think we did...

Best to rip it off, like a bandage. "In a way, we're all dead here, Donna and the Doctor. We are the dead of the Library."

The words made both of them shiver, but John nearly exploded first. He stood, towering over Miss Evangelista. "Well, what about the children? The children aren't dead! My and Donna's children aren't dead!"

This might be harder than I thought it'd be... "Your children were never alive."

Gasping, Donna jumped up, too – instinctively stepping between John and Miss Evangelista. "Don't you say that. Don't you dare say that about our children!" No, she's wrong! She has to be!

"Look at your children." She needed them to believe her, so she stressed, "Look at all of them, _really_ look."

Simultaneously, Donna and John turned toward the children – and froze. There were still several boys and several girls – but now all they saw were Joshua and Ella over and over again. They gasped. No, they thought as one, no, that's not possible!

Miss Evangelista stood, knowing she'd started to get through to them. "They're not real. Do you see it now? They're all the same. All the children of this world, the same boy and the same girl, over and over again."

John snapped, "Stop it. Just stop it! Why are you doing this? Why are you wearing that veil?"

It pulled Donna into action, firing her hand into pulling off the veil – showing a face unnaturally contorted. Donna – and all the children – screamed, turning into John's body to hide from the sight.

He just clutched Donna to him, gasping in horror... Partly because he somehow knew that wasn't the scariest face he'd ever seen...

* * *

><p>Charlotte screamed, too. She hid her face in a pillow, and waited for things to calm down.<p>

* * *

><p>After a few moments, Miss Evangelista's was suddenly re-covered by the veil. The children stopped screaming – and seemingly went back to their previous activities as if they'd forgotten about the moment.<p>

But Donna and John hadn't. He quickly led the women over to a gazebo, so there was no chance Joshua and Ella could overhear. Whatever was going on, he wasn't going to let innocents be needlessly frightened. Donna had quickly figured out his intentions, and urged the woman who called herself Miss Evangelista over in a hurry. And she didn't fight it; she sensed that what had allowed them – particularly Donna – be kind to her in the Library would be fought a bit in convincing them of the truth here.

Once they were there, John turned and slipped his hands in his jean pockets. "What happened to your face?"

"Transcription errors." I figured it out within nanoseconds. "Destroyed my face, did wonders for my intellect. I'm a very poor copy of myself."

Donna shuddered. Poor woman... But... "Where are we? Why are the children all the same?"

Miss Evangelista stayed absolutely still, not threatening. "The same pattern over and over. It saves an awful lot of space."

"Space?" John's sinking feeling was growing stronger, the one he was desperately trying to suppress.

The answer was simple, Miss Evangelista knew, and he'll see it soon enough. "Cyberspace."

* * *

><p>"No!" Things were flying into Charlotte's mind, scaring her as the truth began to dawn on her. "Don't tell, you mustn't tell!"<p>

* * *

><p>Miss Evangelista sensed something pushing against her awareness, but she pressed on – determined to persuade them. "Your physical self – for each of you – is stored in the library as an energy signature. It can be actualized again whenever you or the Library requires."<p>

"The Library?" An awful memory flooded Donna's mind, making her shudder. "If either of our faces end up on one of those statues..."

This is a good start. "You remember the statues?"

"No!" John's arms reflexively clasped Donna to him. "That's not-" He started shaking from the inside out. Flashes of overhearing that girl, Jenny, talking with... a dark-skinned young woman and an older, blond woman. "That would mean I'm not married to Donna, that I'm an alien who'll outlive her, and that I couldn't give her what she wants! That I'll just ruin her life, her chances at happiness, and that can't be! It just can't!"

Donna gasped as his panic nearly overwhelmed her. Oh, my God... She had flashes of... a handsome man with a devilish appeal, an older woman with dark hair and wisdom beyond even her years, and... someone who looked like he might be her own Gramps! Her fears seemed to fade in the face of the instinct to hug him tightly, trying to reassure him. "Shh..." She caressed his cheek, and pushed herself up enough to kiss his neck. She was aiming for his jaw, but his hold was so tight she couldn't reach that high.

Oh, my God... Miss Evangelista hadn't thought it was possible to feel your heart breaking when you were just a string of numbers, but hers was as more pieces of the puzzle she witnessed in the Library became clear. "So that's how the computer was able to trick a Time-Lord."

That reached them both – despite their respective barrages of emotions. "What?" It was simultaneous.

"The computer took images from your mutual memories," Miss Evangelista speculated, based on their reactions, "which it couldn't completely program you, Doctor, to suppress since you're not human. Instead, it used them to weave together a story that used your feelings for each other – which were also _far_ too strong for programming over overcome – to persuade you that what you were experiencing was reality. It presented a drug that would be instantly addictive to both of you."

"Wait, no, just... hang on." Donna was desperately seeking something else to latch on to, and old insecurities presented a decent opportunity. "So... are you saying that I'm just a temp who has nothing to offer anyone?"

"No!" I can't let her talk about herself like that! John forced her to look at him. "I told you, you are the most amazing woman in the world! I'm insanely lucky just to have met you!"

"What you see around you," Miss Evangelista interjected, needing to stop this, "this entire world is nothing more than virtual reality."

Donna turned. I don't know if I should ask, but I need to know... "So why do you look like that?"

"I had no choice," Miss Evangelista sighed. "You two teleported. You're perfect reproductions. I was just a data ghost caught in the Wi-Fi and automatically uploaded."

That it caught John's attention made him shiver. He shook his head, trying to shut it out. Donna, feeling the shaking, whispered her next question, "And it made you clever?"

"We're only strings of numbers in here." I never thought he would be the harder of the two to convince... "I think a decimal point may have shifted in my IQ. But my face has been the bigger advantage. I have the two qualities you require to see absolute truth. I am brilliant... and unloved."

Those words made John feel like his insides froze solid as she spoke those last words. It hit something deep inside, and it hit something else – something connected to Donna, somehow.

Donna shook her head. "If this is all a dream... whose dream is it?"

Miss Evangelista nearly sighed. "It's hard to see everything in the data core, even for me, but there is a word. Just one word. CAL."

The word touched another memory in each of them. But they couldn't place it.

* * *

><p>"No, you're making them miserable! They were happy!" Charlotte was barely aware of her flowing tears as she grabbed the remote and pushed a button. I've got to help them, she cried silently – as memories started hitting her, too... And she tried to ignore them, focusing on the couple she'd come to adore...<p>

* * *

><p>Ella suddenly fell to the ground, crying in pain. "Mummy! Daddy! My knee!"<p>

John grabbed Donna's hand and nearly dragged her away in his haste to reach Ella – who was mercifully nearby with her brother, who'd stopped his playing to help. "We're here, Ella," John blurted, trying to keep those unsettling fears from hurting his girl as he pulled her into his arms. "Mummy and I will help."

"She's not real." I can't believe they're clinging so tenaciously to the lie... Especially him... "They're fictions." Miss Evangelista was surprised to feel herself go cold. "I'm sorry, but now that you understand that, you won't be able to keep a hold. They are sustained only by your belief."

"You don't know," John screamed before Donna could, "you don't have children!"

"Neither do you." Finality might work...

John felt flashes cross his mind again, but this time, he only recognized the image of the girl called Jenny. The others he saw tapped on his mind, but the memories he pushed aside – ruthlessly. "We're leaving!" He took Ella's hand, seeing that she could walk, and then Donna's. She quickly took Joshua's and followed her husband – almost as upset as he was.

"Donna, Doctor," Miss Evangelista screamed, suddenly terrified that they wouldn't listen, "for your own sake, let them go! Doctor, you have to let this go so you can save yourself and Donna!"

He refused to listen. "Donna's my wife," he shouted at her, "and these are our children! You're the one who's wrong! My world isn't wrong! I'm not that lonely alien! I'm a human man with memory problems from an accident! This _is_ my life," he cried as he all but dragged his family away.

Donna's mind worked hard, trying to piece together what felt like memories bubbling to the surface. And trying to calm him with a squeeze of his hand...

Miss Evangelista could only watch in horror. How could that have not worked? How can he cling to the fiction so tenaciously...?

* * *

><p>Charlotte's tears kept coming. "Stop it! You'll spoil everything! I hate you, you're going to ruin everything! Stop it!"<p>

"Sweetie," her dad called to her, hurrying in from the kitchen, "what's wrong?"

I don't need to hear you tell me that the Library isn't real! "Shut up!" She pressed another button... and her father vanished into thin air. "Daddy! No! Daddy!"

If Miss Evangelista had been able to see the despair on Charlotte's face that drove her to throw the remote to the ground, she would have understood the Doctor's reaction. If you told a person that their perfect world was an illusion, wouldn't they cling to what they preferred to believe about their life...? Especially if that other life held so much misery for them...?

* * *

><p>John and Donna knew they were going faster than the twins could reasonably handle, but even Donna felt a need to flee from the woman who called herself Miss Evangelista. My poor... A name suddenly came to her, a name connected with her husband. My poor <em>Spaceman<em>...?

"Mummy, Daddy," Ella asked, sounding scared, "what did the lady mean? Are we not real? Where are we going?"

Only one answer came, from John: "Home!"

Suddenly, they were in the living room. All the lights are red, and an alarm was blaring. Neither Donna nor John could recognize it.

Ella broke the silence. "That was quick, wasn't it, Mummy? Daddy?"

"Mummy, Daddy," Joshua asked, pointing at the window, "what's wrong with the sky?

Donna and John looked out of the window and their eyes nearly popped out upon seeing an equally red sky. Oh, my God... Donna felt more memories flashing before her eyes, especially of red-eyed creatures – each holding a strange ball – reaching toward them. Oh, God, that was real...! These flashes really happened...!

John pulled them all back to the couch, walking backwards. "Stay together," he whispered desperately, "stay right with me. Don't leave my sight for an instant." He made them sit, and held all three of them tightly to him. He planted loving pecks on the twins' foreheads, and then a brief – but hard and deeply intimate – one on Donna's lips. "I know we're hallucinating – all of us. We'll snap of this soon, and it'll be all right."

But Donna's mind was elsewhere, in the midst of memories starting to assert themselves...

A dark-skinned man, who was going to marry her but didn't love her. Who thought she was completely thick, and deceived her, preparing her to become a meal for a woman-spider's children... And John – no, the Doctor! – rescuing her twice. After she'd slapped him. Who didn't hate her for turning him down. Who still made it snow for her... Who put a bio-damper masking as a wedding ring on her finger – one she still had among her possessions...

Of searching for the Doctor when she regretted her refusal. Even though she was there for her dad... Of seemingly drifting... Investigating every strange phenomenon she could find in the hopes that it'd be the thing that brought the Doctor back into her life...

The fatty blobs, the Adipose that came out of Stacy Campbell... Of seeing him through the door and window, of hugging him despite the danger... Yelling at him when she nearly died... Giving him the pill he needed to save a million people. Turning into his arms when she couldn't watch the Matron die... And yelling, "You're not mating with me, Sunshine!"

Pompeii... That purple dress that the Doctor apparently liked... Being captured... Sharing his burden when 20,000 had to be doomed to save the planet... And saving a family... and being welcomed aboard.

The Ood planet... The cold... Teasing him about his ship... Hearing the song of Captivity... Freeing an entire species... And being called TheDoctorDonna, as a unit... She'd liked thinking of them as being a forever thing even then...

Learning to pilot the TARDIS... Being called by Martha to solve what turned into saving Earth from the Sontarans... Of taking on a Sontaran and stopping their ship – with only the Doctor's voice over a cell phone to guide her... Of being grateful that he gave her a key, and feeling amused and a bit sad that he'd thought she was leaving him...

Messaline... and Jenny! How the Doctor fought with accepting her... and his eventual joy in both stopping a war and gaining a daughter... And his shock when Jenny called Donna "Mum" for the first time...

Introducing Jenny to her family... And making her mother be a little less hostile toward the Doctor, all because of Jenny's exuberance and child-like delight...

Meeting Agatha Christie... The Vespiform... The murder mystery... and the 1920s dresses that the Doctor had hated on Jenny, but... loved... on Donna... The detox! And his "got to do that more often" throw-away comment...

And overhearing Jack, Sarah Jane, and Gramps talking about the Doctor's feelings! The struggling to deny what she felt...

And just like that, Donna realized who she really was... and who John really was... Oh, my God...

"You just..." John could barely speak; his throat was constricted from the weight of so many emotions trying to pile on him. So many things in his mind that he refused to listen to. Because, he told himself, they're all hallucinations! "...you just stay where I can see you. Right, you, you don't get out of my sight."

"_That man seems to think he's doomed to be lonely, since he's the last of his kind and everyone he cares about is going to die before he will." Sarah Jane sighed heavily, sounding so sad to Donna's ears. "He must be worrying about the fact that he won't age like his companions do. It's like he thinks he doesn't deserve to be happy if he's just going to be alone again in the end."_

That memory snapped one more thing into place. So, she realized with a deeply sinking feeling, that's why he's fighting so hard to cling to this... fiction... He was so lonely, so insecure about how I'd respond to him falling for me that he can't accept that this isn't real. He can't stand the idea of being that lonely alien... who feels like he's doomed...

"Mummy," Joshua whimpered, "you're hurting my hand."

Donna hadn't even realized she was squeezing with the hand holding Joshua's. Oh, God, her mind cried as she felt her heart breaking, I don't remember creating them! The computer didn't even _let_ us have the experience of being intimate!

"Mummy and I are just having a little worry, that's all." John was determined to talk his way out of this, to bring himself back to where this would all be a hallucination.

He didn't realize that his actions were a sign that the computer's hold on him was weakening. That his real identity was pushing its way into his conscious mind...

Ella looked up at him. "Is it bedtime?"

* * *

><p>Then they were in the children's room. John was finishing tucking them lovingly into their beds, being as gentle as possible to keep them from feeling his turmoil.<p>

Donna stood right behind him, and placed her hands on his shoulders. Any moment now, she just knew, this will all come crashing down... So she took the longest looks she could at the scene before her, knowing it would disappear soon... and might completely break her heart, not to mention his two...

"OK," John said, aiming for a soothing voice, but not quite able to keep the tension out. "That was lovely, wasn't it? That was a lovely bedtime. We had warm milk, and we watched cartoons, and then Mummy and I read you a lovely bedtime story."

Donna wanted to close her eyes, and keep them closed, but she couldn't. She also didn't see the images that "John" saw, that the computer was still feeding him. His desperation to believe, she knew, is making it easier to swallow the jumping around. I'll need all my strength for this...

"Mummy, Daddy," Ella asked in that voice all kids get when they ask the big questions, "Joshua and me, we're not real, are we?"

He shook his head. "Of course you're real! You're as real as anything! Why would you say that?"

"But, Daddy," Joshua added, "sometimes, when you're not here or Mummy's not here, it's like we're not here."

He startled. What?

Ella continued, "Even when you close your eyes, we just stop."

Never again, he vowed. "Well, Mummy and Daddy promise to never close their eyes again." He risked glancing at Donna. "Right?"

But she could only look forlornly at him. Unable to draw her eyes away from him, unable to hide her own pain.

Why is she so agonized? He opened his mouth to ask, but then he felt a need to look at the beds... and the children were gone. "No!" His hands went over where they'd been, and felt empty air. "No! No, no, no! No! No, no! NO! NO!" His hand flew into his hair and he collapsed onto his knees, curling into himself – trying to block out everything.

Donna's already breaking heart felt like it shattered into billions of pieces – like every atom was violently ripped from each other – as his body was wracked by brutal tremors. My poor Spaceman... She instantly wrapped her arms around his sobbing frame. "I know, my love, it hurts."

He gasped as a flood of images and names rushed forward in what for him was an eternity:

His granddaughter. His first companion. Her taking the human name Susan Foreman. Her taking care of the old man he physically was. Her leaving him for a human man...

Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton... First human companions. Her love of history, and how it got her in trouble – like with the Aztecs. His meddling with the TARDIS, and close combat genius. Their leaving him... together...

Vicky... The teenager who looked after him after Susan... Who grew up to become Troius' Cressida...

Steven Taylor... Survivor of a crash, and a burning city. Chose to help a divided society find peace... There for the deaths of two other companions...

Katarina... Thought he was a god... Died protecting him...

Sara Kingdom... Joined him to foil her employer... Died soon after Karatina...

Dodo Chaplet... Accidentally infected a future society with the common cold. Wandered off when WOTAN hypnotized her...

Ben Jackson and Polly... Helped him defeat WOTAN. Left together...

Jamie McCrimmon... Clever, intuitive... Forced home by the Time Lords...

Victoria Waterfield... Daughter of a Dalek victim. Deafening screams. Left for the Harris family...

Zoe Heriot... Child prodigy. Forced home, memories wiped, by the Time Lords...

Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart... Took him into UNIT when the Time Lords took away his ability to fly the TARDIS. Good man...

Elizabeth Shaw... His UNIT replacement when he got his memories back. Never actually traveled on the TARDIS...

Jo Grant... Tenacious, able to stand up to him... Left to explore the Amazon with a professor...

Sarah Jane Smith... With him almost as long as Jamie was. Raised an army to save him, took on the Sontaran who abducted her – and won! He was forced to leave her behind on Earth...

Harry Sullivan... Clumsy and old-fashioned, but loyal to a fault. Never trusted the TARDIS would get him home on time...

Leela... Infuriating, savage, and yet able to make one very fond of her. She wed a Citadel Chancellery Guard, and had the first naturally conceived – and born – Gallifreyan child in millenia... And he _still_ didn't know what became of them...

K-9... Loyal robotic dog... Multiple incarnations... Annoying habit of calling him, "Master." With Sarah Jane now...

Romana... Boastful, arrogant, belittling, manipulative... and yet willing to save others... Bewildered the Time Lords by befriending him...

Adric... Young, immature, and arrogant... but amazing mathematical mind... Died from a Cyberman attack, haunting him for years...

Nyssa... Father killed by the Master... Naïve but incredibly sweet. Left to turn a slave planet into a hospital...

Tegan... Another victim of the Master. Mouthy, stubborn... Left to go back to her old life...

Vislor Turlough... Non-human exile and thief... Never quite trusted, even after he'd returned to his home planet...

Kameleon... Another good robot... Destroyed before its time... at his own hand...

Peri Brown... Saved from the Master. Killed when someone wanted her body to house their brain...

Mel Bush... Irritated so many... Left with a space entertainer... after accidentally caused his sixth self's death...

Ace... Swept from Earth by a time storm, forced into slavery. Frighteningly good with bombs. Mysteriously disappeared from his life...

Grace Halloway... Accidentally killed his seventh self when trying to save him... Devoted to saving lives... Murdered by the Master, yet saved by the TARDIS... Stayed behind for her patients...

Bernice... Why couldn't he remember how she came into his life or left it...?

Romana, in desperation and against his pleas, reviving Rassilon to fight in the last Time War... It surely got her killed... forever...

Rose Tyler... Innocent, romantic, young... Reminded him of Jo Grant... Looked up to him too much, felt too much for him... as he saw in his last glimpses of her from across universes, proving he'd misread so much about their bond...

Mickey Smith... From scared boyfriend left behind, to angry young man investigating a perceived threat, to computer genius who willingly took his late parallel world's counterpart's place...

The man who called himself Jack Harkness... From a flirtatious con man – with a huge secret to his appeal – to a defender of Earth... thriving despite the curse Rose unknowingly placed upon him...

Sarah Jane again... He restored K-9 to her, but she proved that he caused a lot of pain when he'd left her before...

Martha Jones... Brilliant, determined... and never given a proper chance... He'd felt too guilty over Rose, and hadn't really seen the emotional dangers he placed Martha in...

The Generated Anomaly... Born a soldier from blood seized from him... and transforming into a true daughter, sharing in his child-like excitement. Her anger when she saw a threat to them...

And... Donna? Shouting at him in her wedding gown... Jumping from a cab... Stepping between him and the Empress... _"Doctor, you can stop now!"_... Turning him down... That mouthed conversation... Holding out the pill at Adipose... Her pulling out all her bags... Begging him to warn Pompeii... Sharing his burden... Pleading to save the one family... Her compassion for the dying Ood... The willingness to hear the Ood song... Piloting the TARDIS..._"__You've been checking out the building - should've been checking out the workforce."_... Saving Earth with just him whispering over the phone... Naming Jenny, making him accept her and love her... Detox: the biggest shock of his life at that point... _"I don't feel comfortable with the very thought of you being alone with her."_

And in that moment, CAL's hold over him snapped, and it was impossible to deny his identity. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no," the Doctor cried, sinking to the floor between the beds, "Miss Evangelista was right! It's not real! Nothing here is real. The whole world, everything, none of it's real!" The truth made him want to sink into the ground and die...

"Not everything was fake!" Donna hated screaming, but it seemed necessary to drag him out of it enough – even with a slight shake. "What about our feelings, my loveable-but-idiotic Spaceman? Were _those_ fake?"

Donna shouting always ensured his attention, but this time, it was her words that captured his thoughts. He slowly picked himself up, turning around – and Donna had to release her hold, but moved her hands to return to his shoulders – to face... what he _prayed_ with both his hearts was really Donna... "What did you just say," he whispered, "that not everything was fake?"

She swallowed – a habit that the computer couldn't suppress, she realized absently – and whispered, staring right into the deep eyes that she'd been afraid would hypnotize her, "I'm asking you: would any of this have been believable if we didn't already both wish for something like it?" The need to comfort him overpowered her instinct to withdraw, to protect herself.

The Doctor gaped. Unable to believe that she could still think in the midst of unbearable grief. And yet wasn't it just like Donna to manage that...?

Donna saw his inability to speak, and it – combined with the truth of this world – nearly choked her. I know it's a risk asking someone this rubbish with feelings to answer this, she thought, but I don't know what else to say right now... "Tell me... Doctor..."

The whispering of his chosen name reminded him of when she'd first called him "John." How it had seemed off, that it wasn't right... And he'd forgotten that under the influence of Dr. Moon... and his own desires...

She forced herself to continue, "...why was this whole thing believable to you?"

He nearly choked from the question, but not because he knew little about handling emotions. It was because there was only one answer, and the choking was from a futile attempt to follow old habits. "I... It was because I've never loved anyone in the whole of my life so deeply as... as I love you." It couldn't be taken back now... It was in the open... "And I wanted to believe in it... more than anything..."

Despite it all, Donna's lips and the corners of her eyes curled into the tiniest hint of a smile. Oh,_ thank God_!

Neither of them noticed that the red light around them was fading...

The Doctor's eyelids had never felt so wide before. I can't be seeing what I think I'm seeing in her eyes... "Donna...?"

She choked on her own voice, still a whisper. "Despite everything I said to you at first, I've come to love you so much that I can't even think to even pretend to be oblivious anymore. And it's felt so... _right_... to be with you..."

When he gasped for air, he realized that waiting for her admission had made his breath stop – and the bypass hadn't kicked in. "Oh! Oh, thank you, Donna!" He pulled her into a big hug. "Thank Rassilon!" She has to be real! She has to be!

"You thank who you want," she cried, with a hint of laughter, "but I'm thanking God!" For starting to get through your thick head!

Again, neither noticed the light turning white...

Then they both had another flash, another memory return: Jenny screaming at them about River Song. "Jenny," Donna breathed, pulling away just enough to see his face, "she must be frightened out of her mind!"

That allowed the Doctor to snap into his save-the-day mentality. "Right, we'll figure out how to get out of here safely, and then talk about this-" And then he registered the white light overpowering everything around them. "Oh, no..." He drew her right back into the tightest embrace. "No, we can't be too late!"

Donna gasped as she felt something start to tug them apart. She clutched him back. "Maybe this is sending us back into the real world," she screamed over the growing noise.

They clung with everything they had, but the force overwhelmed them. "Donna," he screamed as he lost his grip on her arms. No, I can't lose her now! I can't!

"I'll find you," Donna shouted back, terror filling her entire being. "I didn't stop before, and I promise you, I'll find you!" We have to be going back! She silently begged God or whoever might be listening, Please let us go back!

His mind clung desperately to her words, to the hope that this wasn't the end. "And I won't stop looking, either!"

And then the light consumed them both...


	13. None is Left to Protest

**Author's Note**: At last... The final chapter. I owe a belated shout-out to tardis-mole for the information on the companions from Classic Who. I only knew of Sarah Jane, Romana, and Ace. And I wanted more to fill out the emotions that Ten was feeling in that moment from last chapter.

A huge thank-you to everyone who's reviewed. They've meant a lot to me... I suppose I should also express gratitude to the very existence of the production that inspired the germ of this story. ;D But don't fret too much; I have a sequel in mind... It's current working title is, "Nothing to Any Purpose That the World Can Say Against It." Yes, it's from MAAN's final scene. But the only thing MAAN will have to do with the sequel might be chapter titles. I'm much more likely to use The Merchant of Venice and perhaps Measure for Measure for inspiration for this next story. And there might be one more story after that; if the tone of this story changed so much while it was in progress that I had to end it where I did, then the next one won't get us to where my notes have this whole idea ending.

Discussions from LJ about possible future projects for Tate and Tennant to work on together gave me an idea for my next new fic. It's also Shakespearean. The new story? It's called "The Taming of the Time Lord." Yes, it's a gender-role reversal of a particular Shakespearean play. I'm outlining it, and it needs one heck of an outline; I'm going to be dragging a lot of characters from the Who universe. Think of it as a big production Alternate Reality.

Keep your eyes opened!

* * *

><p>CHAPTER THIRTEEN: NONE IS LEFT TO PROTEST<p>

_From Chapter 9:_

"_You can't do this," River screamed – as best as she could – once she recovered from the initial shock._

"_I can," Jenny screamed right back. Something nagged her awareness, and she pulled River's Sonic out. "And I will! Oh, and look. Your Sonic's working again. So I must be on the right track. Now get moving!" She tossed it to River._

_Who caught it despite her shock. She shouted, "Mr Lux, with me! Anita, if she dies, I'll kill him once I see him again!"_

Mr. Lux stood in the reception area, working frantically on a terminal. The count-down had come and gone, so he had hope that at least part of the plan had worked. Professor Song had gotten him to the Gravity Platform, but sent him up on his own...

_"_You can handle it by yourself," Professor Song breathed through nearly gritted teeth as she stopped. "I have to stop her from killing herself!"__

__He paused, eyes wide. "You're going to...?"__

__She nodded. "I have to. She's got this mistaken idea about what her family's future will be, but the actions here? They've changed things. What I remembered when I came here is no longer what was for me. But she has a future! I have to stop her from accidentally making things worse!" Then she sent him up, not allowing much further discussion.__

He shook off the chill of the memory, and tried to focus on his task. But, he noted, it's still so silent...

_"_Excuse me."

The sudden, unknown male voice startled Mr. Lux, who looked up to see the room filled with people. His breath caught in his throat.

_"_What happened?" The same man looked around, dazed. "How did we get here?"

Mr. Lux was overwhelmed by the sheer lightness blasting from deep inside. "Look at you, you're back! You're all back." He stunned a few people – especially, deep down, himself – when he hugged random people. "They did it! You're all back. Look at you!"

Laughing, he hurried outside to see the rest of the planet, and – upon seeing all the signs of life – exclaimed, "Look at that! Oh look at that, they did it. 4,024 people! Saved!" He paused, joy damped by the sudden reminder of the five that didn't make it. "Bless you all," he whispered, saying a silent prayer for their sakes.

* * *

><p>The cacophony of noise hit the Doctor's ears first. Then he saw his clothes. Oh! The old blue suit...<p>

In another room, Donna felt dizzy when she opened her eyes, from the sights and sounds and smells. So many weird things, she thought as she noted the clothing she'd put on earlier that day.

A joyful scream popped into his mind, and he felt overwhelmed – stumbling to stay upright – by feeling the Old Girl in his mind again. The TARDIS all but cried in his mind, _I've been so worried about you both, Doctor!_

Donna looked up, numbly noting all the people now surrounding her. Where did they all come from...?

Then he saw all the people who weren't there before. All stuck in the computer, he realized with a start, just like me and- "Donna," he whispered. Where _is_ she?

"Doctor." The whisper escaped Donna's lips as memories of the fake world came back to her.

He hurriedly scanned the room. No gingers anywhere. Not even a false alarm. Oh, Rassilon, how many rooms _are_ there in the Library?

Donna whipped her head around. Where's that familiar blue pinstriped suit and that brown hair I've grown inexplicably fond of? The sudden noises made by the dozens of people in the room she appeared in nearly gave her a headache, but she refused to give in. Where _is_ he?

He trusted that, if everyone was suddenly back in physical form, then the threat from the Vashda Nerada had been somehow neutralized. He also decided – in that same nanosecond – to trust that Jenny was safe. She was a soldier and his daughter – and both enabled her to catch on quickly to keeping safe against danger. He had a mission!

She moved quickly past the people blocking her view of the next room. The one behind her was darker, and she didn't feel safe going in there... yet. She would if she needed to search it, but not before it became necessary. She hoped that everyone was where there was plenty of light to go around, that the danger was well and truly passed.

He turned again, struggling to not give himself whiplash. He rushed up to a ladder and climbed for a good look. Nearly a hundred people in the room, but none were her. At least gingers were still rather uncommon in this century, so it shouldn't be too hard to spot her... he hoped. He _needed_ her. And he absolutely _needed_ to be reassured that her experiences were the other side of his... Because I couldn't bear them _not_ being so...

Donna had to push her way out. I'll try every room, however many times it takes! I need to convince him that our feelings _were_ and _are_ real! I refuse to think that it wasn't him I saw!

He jumped down, stumbling over his feet in his panic, and rushed to the next room. He tried to call her name. But his throat wouldn't work.

People hurried out of her way. She acted like a madwoman. But she didn't care; her voice had left her.

Another ladder. More looking... And still nothing!

Another room. More frantic scanning... And no sign of a blue suit!

They each repeated. Several times, without success. Their hearts grew heavy. But they refused to give in. Refused to despair.

She wished that she could directly understand the Old Girl, had a link with her. I would know exactly where to find him!

The TARDIS tried to communicate with him, but his emotions were too jumbled to listen. The Old Girl would've torn her hair out, had she had any... _You're so close_, she tried to tell him, _just slow down_!

Donna raced into another room... And slammed into a dark-haired man. She would've stumbled to the ground if he hadn't clasped her arms and righted her back onto her feet. "Ma'am, are-"

And then she looked up at him, which rendered him unable to make a sound. "Oh, hi," she murmured. "Thanks," she added when he didn't immediately let go, "but I-I'm looking for someone-"

At that moment, the Doctor ran into the room, and skidded to a stop when he saw ginger hair...

She turned at the sound, and their eyes finally met. Their bodies froze, but their hearts felt like they were trying to claw out. Each saw the desperate longing in the other's eyes...

It broke the stalemate. They nearly knocked a few people over bolting to each other.

She all but dove into his arms, and he all but fell upon her. How they were still standing, no one around them could guess. The impact should've knocked them off balance... but he had paused just enough to use her momentum to turn them around – so he was between Donna and that man he vaguely noticed...

He buried his nose in her hair, noting all the scents that made up Donna on a daily basis. Scents he couldn't remember being there in that computer world... Nor did all the touch sensations exist... Her warmth... Her precious single heart, full with enough compassion for the entire universe... and for him!

She breathed in his scents at neck level, thinking she'd pass out from the relief of smelling those exotic details – including the not-so exotic smell of honey she'd always detected when hugging him – that she'd come to associate with comfort and feeling loved. Never had a pinstriped suit felt so good to have under her hands!

People moved around them, and they vaguely registered some announcement: "Transport vessels are approaching. Please wait until this room is called upon to head to the Reception Area to teleport to incoming ships. Thank you for coming to the Library."

That prodded them to separate, but only enough to look into each other's eyes. The Doctor looked deep into the infinitely expressive eyes of the human woman had triggered so many emotions in him, and whispered, sounding like a small child who needed a safe haven, "Do you remember what happened... inside the computer?" Please, Rassilon, let the Donna I encountered be the one in front of me, please...!

Donna saw the uncertainty, and tightened her hold; not even her fears could prevent her from comforting her Spaceman in his need for reassurance. Oh, you really are still insecure about this, aren't you...? "I lived an experience," she whispered back, barely managing a calm tone, "where my real memories had been used to create a world where I went around the Isles – helping people – with a wonderful if daft partner, who completely captured my heart."

His breath hitched, and he froze. His thoughts ground to a louder halt than the TARDIS' breaks.

Her expression went infinitely soft. "But you know that, don't you? What I don't know is whether it felt natural to you for us to be be married, to have a family. I remember you trying to cling to what you felt was a better world for you. I thought you believed me when I said that our feelings _were_ real..."

The Doctor blushed, and swallowed a lump that somehow instantly manifested in his throat. "I... I wanted to believe... I've just lost so much that... it seems like I was tempting fate to act on... what I feel."

Tears started falling from Donna's eyes, and she pulled him back into a tight hug. "I'm not going to pretend that I don't know how that feels, but it hurts me to see you so scared."

His eyes slammed closed, and his arms tightened. He couldn't speak, could only hang on to her.

She clutched back, trying to pour all of her heart into the hug. "I'm scared, too, Spaceman. I get that this... difference between how... we age makes things seem... what? Insurmountable?"

Can't clutch her any harder, he told himself. I might hurt her... He barely managed to nod against her hair.

Donna hesitated before drawing one hand around to cup his cheek, to make him meet her eyes. Parts of the talk we have to have need to be in private, she knew, but I think that some things can't be delayed any longer. "But we have to face it, don't we? Because things really are going to be different now, aren't they?"

He nodded slowly. "I don't want us to even try to keep doing what we were. Not that either of us could..." That admission cost him, but what else could he say?

She found a tiny smile, trying to draw him out of that depression she could see brewing. Because I'm heading that way, too, unless I do something... "I think we both had... particular notions about what we wanted, and... the Universe had something else in mind." Her smile turned wry. "And we were both stubborn idiots trying to deny what was growing between us."

He snorted, lightly – despite the heavy mood surrounding them, and the public setting they were in. Thank Rassilon no one's bothering to come near us... "Think things would've been easier had I just admitted outright – maybe from that first... adventure – what trouble emotions give me?"

Donna found a real laugh. She couldn't help it; he was looking a little too pathetically cute over the question. She shrugged. "A bit. That whole thing by my car wasn't a finer moment for either of us." She looked a bit pointedly at him. "For you particularly," she added, grinning a little more.

Sighing, the Doctor pulled her completely back into the hug. The tight embrace drew tears to both. "So we have to be find a way to make sure we'll be okay eventually, Donna. _Truly_ all right, and not what I've been claiming it means." I know she'd comment on that, any other day...

She sniffled a little, and nuzzled her face into his shoulder. She needed the moment of composure so she could say something she suddenly needed to say with an even voice. "I want you to know that I told Martha that I intend to travel with you forever." Her hand molded just a little more to his face when his eyes flickered with a correction. "I know that my meaning and yours are different, but this is too important. My old wishes about having a family are insignificant compare with making sure that you're taken care of. I can live with Joshua and Ella being as close as I'll ever come to..." She couldn't finish the sentence; her throat clenched too tightly as the memory of them disappearing from their beds flashed before her.

He knew what she meant, and just _knew_ he was seeing the same memory she was at that moment. What would become of them was now the elephant in the room – a phrase he'd always wondered about but once again put to the back burner. And it had to be addressed – soon. For once, he thought, my lack of real patience might be useful... He pulled back just enough to look at her, releasing one hand to tilt her face upward, coaxing her eyes to meet his. The tears in her eyes, over the realization that there was part of that old dream that she still wanted but would willingly put aside for the sake of the person she loved, tugged something deep in his hearts.

There was only one path to take now... even if it meant making himself completely vulnerable to hurt. "I don't know how we're going to make things work," he whispered back. "I know nothing about making a relationship work, and I'm scared of screwing things up permanently between me and the best thing to ever happen to me." Seeing more tears fall from her lovely eyes gave him the courage to be strong for her. "But the one thing I _do_ know, Donna, is that I'm willing to go to the ends of time to find a way of giving you that future you always wanted... and that I want... desperately... for it to be with me. I don't think there's anything that I wouldn't do for you..."

Donna's tears started falling, unnoticed. The weight inside was growing lighter, and she found the strength to pull her arms around so she could rest her hands over his hearts. All she could say, though, was a whisper: "And I'd do anything to make your burdens easier for you. We'd be in this together, as partners in every way."

He couldn't speak, and some _very male_ part of him – that he didn't even realize he even _had_ until just then – didn't want even the woman he loved to see how much he was about to cry. So he adjusted his hand to softly cup her face and leaned down to place the softest kiss on her lips... Which slowly grew into something infinitely more tender than even in their shared dream as she returned it. Her arms drew around him, hands resting on his back – over his ecstatic hearts – as they each tightened their hold on the other.

Here was a future worth fighting for. They would learn to treasure the world CAL created for them, for it made the rest of their shared life – wherever it took them – possible.

Although he could've said how long their moment lasted, the Doctor was barely aware of the numbers when the kiss ended and their foreheads rested against each other. Never had he felt so... content... as he did in that moment, and – if Donna's expression was anything to go by – apparently the feeling was mutual.

She wanted to stay in the moment, but Donna knew that they couldn't. "We need to let Jenny know about this," she whispered.

His eyebrows slowly raised, showing how dazed he was from the whole experience. "Including...?" He didn't dare voice a mention of what else they'd had inside the computer; the wounds were still too raw.

Swallowing a lump away, Donna nodded. She, too, couldn't say it... yet.

After several long seconds, he returned the nod, acknowledging the necessity of her thought. But he couldn't talk any further. It might be an escape, but he felt compelled to kiss her again. To re-establish their connection. And she was only too willing to let him...

After all, given their emotional states, it felt like a lifeline to both...

* * *

><p>The other occupants of the room pretty much ignored them. Humans kissing in public in the fifty-first century? Happened all the time. Nothing to stare at.<p>

Except for one man... He had gone to the Library under an assumed name because he wanted an escape from the life he had been leading. Having a stammer still didn't make anyone popular, and it was unacceptable in his social circle.

So he had entered the Library with his plan intact. Although CAL saw his real name: Lee McAvoy.

When the beautiful ginger had run into him, he wanted to curse his stammer once again. Only when he met someone new that he really wanted to talk with did it kick in so completely. So continuing to hold on to her arms had seemed his only chance until he could force a few words out.

But, just his luck, she was already with someone. That equally frantic man in the blue suit acted as desperately in love with her as she seemed to be with him.

Lee really hoped that man deserved such devotion. He just knew a woman like that should be treated like a queen...

* * *

><p>Felman Lux might have seemed unobservant to most, but a man didn't make it to where he had without learning to catalog what he saw. The family business simply demanded that you remain alert to what happened around you. He looked around, watching as the first people began to teleport to the first rescue vessel – which he'd had on stand-by in case there had been anything to recover. Who would have thought, he reflected with a smile, that we'd recover everyone? I hope the others would consider this a better outcome than we could've imagined...<p>

Some of the saved wanted to help, so the controls were being manned by others. Which left Mr. Lux the option of walking around to inspect some of the other rooms – and remind the stragglers to come to the central location. So he was taking what might be the last looks anyone in his family would get of CAL's home.

Then he noticed two people he'd thought were lost forever. But a second look stopped him from calling out to them. He watched as they clung to each other like the universe would end at any moment. Like they'd thought the other was lost to them forever. Lips locked in a tender desperation.

Mr. Lux's eyebrows bounced in surprise, and he tried to look back on what he remembered of their behavior from before. It isn't making much sense, he thought. I wonder what they dreamed of...

* * *

><p>Jenny was running harder than she'd ever done before. The Old Girl was telling her where to go, and it took everything to not let the tears fall again. So close, so close, so close...! Then she spotted, in the distance, a blue suit and ginger hair in a ponytail. Two words erupted from her mouth: "<em>Mum! Dad!<em>"

She was too distraught to notice the details that – any other time – would've forced her to suppress a squeal.

Donna and the Doctor turned toward the welcome voice. Never had a scream sounded so sweet. They would have answered, but neither could make their throats produce noise. So they reached out – keeping one arm on each other as a reflex as he braced them both – to the barreling blond who latched an arm around their respective necks, clinging like a barnacle.

"Oh, thank God," Jenny choked as she collapsed against them, and immediately felt everything she'd been holding inside flow right out through her eyes. "You're both alive! You're safe!" And she choked on her words as the tears unleashed like a tsunami.

Her parents, even though her arms were all but cutting off their air supply – which was only a problem for Donna, wrapped her into a big group hug. Of course, they were equally at a loss for words.

After all, neither of them could even _think_ of saying that "Mum and Dad are here"...

* * *

><p>They held Jenny for the longest time. The Doctor's time sense began to reassert itself, although he pushed the knowledge of how long they stood there aside. He knew that Donna was worrying about the same thing he was: What happened while they were in the computer?<p>

He started paying attention again when a throat cleared nearby. He looked in that direction, ready to snap at whoever was ruining the reunion. Until he saw a tired and relieved Mr. Lux. "It's good to see you both," the man said, a happy exhaustion in his tone. "We lost five good people today saving these others."

Jenny suddenly pulled herself together a bit, and drew back – while keeping a hand on each of her parents. "They're not completely lost," she forced out, struggling to keep her cracking voice even. "CAL was able to save the ones caught by the Vashta Nerada."

Donna interrupted. "We saw Miss Evangelista!"

Jenny's tears started falling again. "They'll all have a chance to be happy again. The only one she couldn't save was River, but I uploaded her myself."

That drew her parents' eyes to her, but she didn't notice. Her own were downcast, especially when she whispered, "It was the least I could do when she willingly gave up her past for the sake of our future." And she broke down again, falling against her parents.

Who could only exchange a completely bewildered look...

* * *

><p>The Doctor strolled slowly back to where he left Donna and Jenny sitting in the Reception area. The TARDIS had guided him back to where he'd left his coat. He couldn't remember when he took it off, which was completely unlike him, except he'd never been so worried for anyone's safety. He'd only been able to do it because he'd coaxed Jenny into giving back the Sonic, and gotten something out of her that suggested that the Vashta Nerada were no longer a threat.<p>

He would figure that one out later. But he was surprised to realize what a potent tool that one setting was. That light had seemed unnatural to him, and he hadn't seen a clear use for it – except maybe to blind someone. When he'd walked away to recover his coat, he paused when he saw a shadow that seemed a little darker than it should've been.

He had aimed the Sonic, and depressed that setting. The shadow burned, and some vapors appeared – and he recoiled at the sight. Jenny had stumbled onto a weapon against an enemy that there hadn't been a defense against – other than running and avoiding shadows... He wasn't sure how he felt about it or what he thought of it yet; there were too many other things to sift through, and his daughter's well-being topped the list.

Glad to have my coat back, he thought. Seeing that room again had sent chills throughout his body, especially knowing that Miss Evangelista's remains were in the next room. He'd left much quicker than he came. There were almost no good memories within that room.

_Almost_...

He glanced at the transport area, seeing that they'd managed 509 transports so far. They needed a total of 1341 to get everyone out of the Library – including Mr. Lux, who said he wouldn't leave until everyone else was safely aboard one of the transport ships. So he would leave with the last two survivors of that fateful day 100 years ago.

He found his girls curled against each other on one of the couches. Donna held Jenny with infinite tenderness. His hearts twisted again upon seeing how Jenny had buried her face in her mother's neck, and clung to her like she was trying to hide from the universe. We have a long journey ahead of us, he sighed silently.

From her seat, Donna heaved a heavy breath of relief when he walked into the room. She whispered to the scared girl in her arms, "Dad's back, safe and sound." She just got a sniffle and a squeeze as an answer. So we'll have to sit around a while longer, she knew, until everyone's out. I would urge that myself, but Jenny insisted...

As the Doctor approached, Donna saw someone move to catch his attention. She flinched when the Doctor looked up and found himself staring right into the face of the man who she ran into earlier. The one who couldn't say a word once he saw her face. Wish I could think it was because he believed that I'm beautiful...

She saw the man say something to the Doctor, motioning in her direction, but his face was at the wrong angle for her to try to read his lips. And another person walked in the way, preventing her from seeing how the Doctor answered. The dark-haired man nodded, said something else, and then walked to join the line for transport. The Doctor seemed extremely thoughtful as he walked up to join them, and sat on Jenny's other side.

Then Jenny pulled away from her mother to cling just as tightly to her father. A reflex, he knew, from my being away just now...

Donna waited for Jenny to settle again, and watched as that man and two others were teleported away. Although he looked her way as he left... Once Jenny seemed calmer, with her father holding her tightly and stroking the side of her head, Donna was able to softly ask the new burning question. "What did he say to you?"

I see now I was in the right place at the right time, the Doctor realized, to beat everyone else to seeing how special she is... He took a deep breath, trying to shake the unease he felt. "He said that you're clearly extremely special, and that he hoped I knew how lucky I am to have you."

You don't really have me, Spaceman... Yet... "And what did you say?"

He looked deeply into her eyes. "'I do.'"

Donna wanted to cry over the conviction in his voice, the determination to find a way to make things work out. "What did he say to that, before he walked away?"

He swallowed, remembering the intensity of the other man's expression. How it made him shudder over the thought of losing her to another... "He said, 'Then always take care of her.'" He kept looking into her eyes, afraid to look away for fear she'd misinterpret him. "And I'll always do whatever I can..."

She did cry then. She rested one hand over his forearm, and the other on Jenny's shoulder... reaching out to her little family...

Jenny was so out of it with grief, she didn't hear a word of the exchange. She sense they were talking, but nothing registered in her mind...

* * *

><p>Finally, 1340 teleports had happened. The final one was ready. The last two men saved by CAL waited for Mr. Lux to exchange goodbyes. The man who had thought he needed to keep everything about CAL secret was too happy to shake the hand of the day's savior. "You were put in an impossible situation, Miss Jenny," he said, "but you did much better than many would have. You found a solution, even in the face of your own grief."<p>

Jenny was barely able to let her father's arm go to accept and return the gesture. "As glad," she replied softly, so the others wouldn't overhear, "as I am that CAL won't be so lonely, I wish I could've done more for the others."

Mr. Lux could appreciate the struggle the young lady was going through, and would go through for some time. "Know that I believe that Professor Song forgave you. I hope you're soon able to forgive yourself."

She just lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze. Too much weighing on her mind.

Donna managed a smile, and extended her left hand – as Jenny wouldn't let go of her right arm – for a goodbye. "We're glad your family's legacy is safe. That we were able to help."

Mr. Lux ruefully smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you all sooner. This... was very important to my grandfather." He turned to face the Doctor, and shook his hand. "Professor Song was right in a way; you and your family are the story I will tell for the rest of my life. Thank you."

Given this incarnation's readiness with words, this was one of the few times the Doctor couldn't find anything fitting to say. Of course, I'm a bit more concerned with what will happen after we return to the TARDIS, so I suppose I have an excuse...

With one last look, Mr. Lux joined the other two on the platform. The Doctor flipped the lever, and the last three people were gone. So they turned to return home. The adventure was over. The aftermath was a mystery...

Jenny wasn't looking forward to explaining what happened, especially what she and River had talked about while setting up River's tomb (she couldn't think of it in any other way now), and then a little about what she and CAL spoke about before uploading River's consciousness into the computer. There were some parts of that conversation that Jenny had to keep to herself. She either needed more time to process them, or they invited questions that she wasn't ready to answer. Especially about the plan...

The whole day was a lot for even the Doctor to absorb – and he'd had a full day of new information to process already. He heaved a heavy sigh. Remembering that the Professor had known some future him, he muttered under his breath, "I hope my song won't end anytime soon."

Jenny vaguely heard it, and frowned. What is he talking about...?

"Maybe," Donna speculated, also forgetting that they hadn't told that story yet, "Ood Sigma meant something else. Like some part of your song was ending soon. Perhaps he foresaw... Jenny." She didn't dare voice that he might have seen the... other... development – a new relationship – coming, not in front of Jenny. But, going by the quick raised eyebrow the Doctor sent her way (over Jenny's head), he was wondering about that.

The Doctor and Donna were grateful that the TARDIS was right there, and they increased the pace by tacit agreement. "Oh, home, sweet home," Donna exclaimed. The profound relief of this adventure ending threatened to overwhelm her body, and she knew that she and the Doctor needed to talk a bit more. Although she kind of wanted a little more breather space first; they had to get as much distance between them and the Library as possible – quickly.

Besides, their daughter needed them. They could put things aside for a bit to ensure her mental well-being...

Jenny suddenly stopped them. "Wait. River said... something..." She worked her right arm free of her father's, and raised it to shoulder level, aiming her hand at the TARDIS doors. And snapped her fingers.

The doors opened for them, and Jenny – despite everything – beamed in child-like delight. Donna's eyes popped wide, and the Doctor – in his surprise – went all blustery. "What? You can't do that!"

"Well," Jenny retorted, with a hint of smug airiness, "I just did. Come on!" She grabbed them both and dragged them inside – eager to be home. He looked back once inside, and – not wanting to be outdone – tried it himself. When the doors closed after them, he could only stare in stunned, frozen silence at his ship's entrance.

Donna decided to create a distraction. "Innit time to get into the Vortex?" Although his face _is_ quite the picture...

It snapped him out of the stupor, which Donna and Jenny would treasure for a long time. Once the three of them flew the Old Girl away, Jenny started flagging. She felt her whole body becoming heavy, and a bad headache starting.

Then she felt both of her parents take her arms again. "Okay, love," her father crooned, "let's go to your room. You get ready for bed, and your Mum and I will be right back..."

Before she knew it, she was in her bathroom, having been gently pushed inside with a pair of green flannel jim-jams. Feels strangely good, she thought absently as she changed quickly, to not have to think for a while... She threw her day's clothes into the TARDIS' special hamper so they could be cleaned. How am I going to be able to rest...?

When she came out, she saw her parents sitting on the bed, space in-between them for her. Her father had set up some tea, and her mother was holding a hairbrush. He'd shed his jacket and tie, she'd lost her gray top layer, and both had clearly tossed their shoes aside.

"Come 'ere," Donna said, patting the empty space. "Time to let us take care of you, all right?"

Jenny could read the order in the motions and words, so she slowly walked over. When she sat, her father handed her a cup of her favorite tea, and then she felt the band holding her hair back get pulled off. Her mother gently ran the brush through, ever so slowly. If this is being babied, Jenny thought absently, then I'll take it right now...

The Doctor waited for Jenny to take a long sip – he'd made sure the tea had cooled to drinkable temperature – before speaking, as delicately as possible. "We need to know what happened, Jenny."

I knew I couldn't hide forever, but I'd hoped I'd have longer than this... Jenny took a deep breath. Must get through this quickly... "I ran back to find one of Proper Dave's shadows gone. As I scanned, he lost his vision. He faded fast, but that swarm figured out how to manipulate the suits. River had to blast our way out with a Squareness Gun."

The Doctor felt a mix of cringing and being a bit impressed. "Haven't seen one of those in decades..."

Donna snorted. Always fascinated with technology... "Go on, sweetheart."

Jenny swallowed more tea first – part of her wondering about the odd flavor, but too tired to care. "When we thought we'd found a resting place, I confiscated her Sonic; I didn't trust her story about getting it from a future you. Then I... realized you weren't on board... and we soon saw your faces..."

Donna stopped brushing to wrap her arms around Jenny, who choked on her words. The Doctor pulled them both into an embrace. Both adults waited for her to recover enough to speak.

It took a good minute before Jenny could. When they felt her breathing even out a bit, Donna resumed brushing, and the Doctor placed a hand on his little girl's shoulder. Jenny cleared her throat. "River stopped me from falling. She heard me whisper your names, and felt my heartbeats. When we were momentarily safe again, after more running and a few more blasts of her gun, she... mildly confronted me about it when I was trying to scan. Her Sonic stopped working, and yours wasn't working right. I yelled at her, and then... somehow... all of a sudden... she knew my name."

Donna's eyebrows bounced, and the Doctor's did a rather good Vulcan impression. They exchanged a rather large WTF expression over Jenny's head.

"More confusing, her memories and her journals words were faded. River couldn't remember details about her time with the future you. I only knew that the universe was trying to compensate, and hoped that it might that I could get you both back... While I was trying to figure out the Library's situation, you two suddenly appeared to us. That distracted us... and I think it got Anita infected..."

Both adult flinched. They, too, had liked Anita...

"When we got her helmet on, I tried tinting it to trick that swarm. Of course, Sleketon Proper Dave was still following us. We ran again, but I got sick of it and decided to get some information from that suit." She frowned. "You know, Dad, we're gonna talk sometime about these little things I've inherited from you! I can't believe how reckless you can be!"

Not so much since I met your mother, he thought. Aloud, he merely said, "What did you do?"

"I tried that setting I mentioned. The one you wouldn't touch? Well, its light stopped the suit in its tracks. When it figured out how to talk, I found out that these swarm had laid its eggs in the trees that were used to create the books."

The Doctor face-palmed himself. "Oi! I should've realized! I'm too thick!"

Donna sighed, deciding that Jenny's hair was fine now and tossed the brush aside. "We'll deal with that later, Sunshine." When Jenny turned to look quizzically at her, she smiled fondly. "What then?"

Jenny dropped her head. "River had made Other Dave stay with me. Guess she feared that I might be too much like you, despite my warning that I'm not as reckless. I wasn't paying enough attention, and... they got him, too."

She got a crash course in what it's like to be me... The Doctor wished she could've avoided the experience for a while yet, and mourned the loss of her relative innocence.

"But I'd detected a trap door, and used it to escape. I caught up with the others in time to hear River make comments that I found really insulting to you and to your nine previous selves. I let her have it... but not before I slapped her." When her father's eyes flashed in disapproval, her hackles raised a bit. "Oi, I couldn't help it! I felt pushed to the end of my limits!"

Donna sighed. "Guess you've picked up some of my habits."

The Doctor heaved a breath through his nose. "I can't say I'm surprised. I must have known that I couldn't get you to keep a promise to avoid causing any harm..."

Jenny ignored the latter part. Instead, she took another big sip, and swallowed her version of liquid courage. "It was only when Anita asked about what River had said to me – my name – that I realized what the message from a hundred years ago meant. CAL, the computer, tried to transport everyone out at once, and – since she had nowhere else to put them safely – saved everyone within her system."

The Doctor let out an impressed almost laugh. "That is brilliant!" Then he frowned. "Ooh, but that had to be hard on the system..."

Jenny nodded slowly "Especially because the computer is sentient."

Donna, wide-eyed, beat the Doctor to the verbal punch. "What?"

Sighing, Jenny went back to the story. "But the autodestruct somehow activated. We couldn't override it except inside the Core. River knew a quick way. Down there, Mr. Lux showed us the real secret he'd been protecting..." She swallowed the last of her tea in a hurry, needing the fortification. "His aunt, his grandfather's youngest child, was dying. So her living mind was placed in the computer, where she could be surrounded by the books she loved, and left alone."

Donna made the connection. "The little girl we saw? That was CAL?"

"Charlotte Abigail Lux," Jenny softly corrected. "She saved everyone, and needed our help. I knew we had to transport everyone back into the Library. Fortunately, I figured out something from that Sonic setting to make sure the swarm couldn't attack. I didn't trust them to let anyone pass – not when I knew it had eaten Anita and was keeping her suit going."

The Doctor sighed and bit his lip. "I'm not sure I like where this is going, but I can't say that I don't understand the sentiment."

Donna cleared her throat. "Did it have to do with those... tiny floating balls your Dad noticed?"

Jenny nodded. "I found a way to generate the same light within them. So they could create enough safe places that we could get everyone out. Problem? CAL lacked the memory space to make the transfer... so someone had to give theirs."

The Doctor flinched. "Did you make her-?"

"No!" Jenny's shout startled all of them – including the TARDIS. She'd never raised her voice within the ship before. And it felt a lot more draining than the entire meltdown in the shop. "No, I couldn't. I... I did think about it, but I knew I couldn't. And not just because of my promise, Dad. I... thought that I might've messed too much with history, and that I... wasn't supposed to live much longer. But River wouldn't let me. She said her memories were back, but she also remembered another past. This one had Mum and me in it!"

The words tumbled out like a waterfall. "Despite my destroying the past she'd known, she trusted me enough to sacrificing it all for our sakes...! Despite all the things that happened to her family that gave her good reason to hate me! She wouldn't let me die because she said the new time-line was too important to change. And then she was gone in a blinding white light, leaving her skeleton in that suit, and I could feel you two again... And then CAL talked with me, telling me about saving the others, and encouraging me to upload River when I discovered that the Sonic that I'll apparently give her would let me do that! And then she asked for your forgiveness for meddling with your memories..." She choked, fearing what would happen if she said anything more. It helped that she broke into sobbing again.

In tacit unison, her parents drew her into the most loving embrace they could manage with their own jumbled feelings. Which, given who they were, was still more than many could hope for...

Jenny, however, soon found her tears slowing as she felt her body getting more exhausted. But she'd never felt quite like this before... "Dad," she whispered, feeling her eyes getting heavy, "what was in my tea...?"

I was wondering how long it'd take her to ask... "A Gallifreyan sleeping aid," he answered, lightly dragging Jenny up so Donna could pull back the covers. "It makes it impossible to remember any nightmares – or even feel their effects." He and Donna helped Jenny into bed, and drew the covers back over her.

It was impossible to not think of their last moments with Joshua and Ella. But this girl needed them to pamper her, and this was what she needed. "You need rest, love," Donna soothed, "and your Dad wasn't going to let the monsters of the mind keep you from getting it. You'll have a good night's sleep, and we'll start fresh tomorrow."

Jenny wanted to ask a few questions, but between the warmth of the bed and the effects of whatever her father had put in her tea and the near-lullaby that the TARDIS was humming in her mind, she couldn't keep her eyes open. Her last conscious thought was, What did I do to earn parents like this...?

Donna stroked Jenny's loose hair over the pillow as they waited for her breathing to even out. Her eyes widened when it took less than ten more seconds. "That was fast," she whispered. "Does that usually happen?"

The Doctor sighed. "No, but she's young. She needs more rest to function than I do."

She narrowed her eyes. "Now you're talking bullocks again."

He opened his mouth to protest, but he froze upon seeing the skeptical look. So he merely nodded. "Well, I got used to functioning on less sleep than is probably ideal. Lots of nightmares to avoid..."

Donna's eyes softened. "Not anymore," she vowed. "I'm here, and I will share whatever burden necessary for you to feel lighter."

He fought it, but his eyes watered anyway. So he reached over their sleeping Soldier to clasp Donna's hand. "What did I do to get you into my life...?"

Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Be your typical daft, pompous, know-it-all self that happens to have a much bigger pair of hearts than you give yourself credit for."

Their hands grasped more tightly. They'd probably fall asleep here; neither wanted to leave Jenny's side, and being apart from each other was not an option.

Somehow... they would find a way to make this work. However long it took...


End file.
